Mayport Honors K-9 Ben

Ben, an 11-year-old German Shepherd, was formerly a part of the Mayport Naval Station K-9 unit and one of the last patrol dogs in the Navy.

After his retirement on April 15, 2006, Ben left his command and went to live with Master-At-Arms 2nd Class Danique Glenn. Although she is not an MWD handler, she was working in security and heard the news that Ben needed someone to adopt him, so she volunteered to take him. "I couldn't say no when I saw him," Glenn said.

Glenn kept Ben at her home in Jacksonville, along with her two other dogs, and cared for him until his death on April 4. Before being retired, Ben had his spleen removed and was diagnosed with a tumor in his heart. As with human retirees, Ben was eligible for medical benefits and received health care through U.S. Army veterinary facilities in NAS Jacksonville and NS Mayport. Initially, Ben, was not given very long to live, but he surpassed the estimated time by almost a year.

"It was amazing how long he lived past the time he was supposed to live. He was a fighter and a great companion," Glenn said.

During Ben's service years, he was stationed at Lacklund AFB for training, Puerto Rico, Charleston, Kings Bay and Mayport. While stationed in Puerto Rico, he had more than 30 confirmed bites, a prestigious amount for MWDs.

Ben had been stationed at Mayport for a year and a half, assigned to patrol duties and acting as a neighborhood watch/deterrent. Mayport's Command Master Chief, Deborah Davidson, was guest speaker at the memorial service. Also present were the K-9 unit chain of command, Mayport's executive officer, the staff from the base veterinary clinic and his owner.