Elite Oketz K9 Unit bids farewell to four-legged heroes who did not get proper final journey; ‘Outsiders won’t understand,’ says Major (res.) M
The event highlighted the unique bond between soldiers and their canine partners, a relationship that Major (res.) M, the unit’s operations officer, described as something “outsiders won’t understand.”
The ceremony took place at the Oketz canine cemetery near the Adam facility. At its center stands a monument for the dogs whose burial places are unknown, featuring a statue of Warrant Officer Y and his dog, Oscar, the first Oketz dog killed in action whose body was not recovered in Hebron in 2003. “This is the first time we’ve held such a ceremony,” Major (res.) M said. “Yesterday, we decided to engrave the names of the dogs on the monument.”
The unit typically holds a memorial for its fallen dogs a week before Israel’s Memorial Day for Fallen Soldiers and Victims of Terrorism. However, the significant losses since the war began—29 dogs—prompted the opening of a new section in the cemetery.
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