Herkimer, NY – Assemblywoman Marianne Buttenschon (D-119), Assemblyman Robert Smullen (R-118), State
Senator Mark Walczyk (R-49), Herkimer County Legislator John Brezinski (D), alongside fellow state and local
officials gathered today to formally unveil the finished signs commemorating the “War Dog Memorial Highway,”
a stretch of State Route 28 in the Village of Herkimer, from its intersection with Canal Access Road to its
intersection with State Route 5. The ceremony follows the Governor’s August enactment of A.11290, which
officially dedicated the roadway.
Military Working Dogs have served alongside American troops for more than a century. Their story in the United
States begins in World War 1, when the nation had no official military dog program, though service members took
note of how allied forces used dogs as messengers, sentries, and finders of the wounded. Among the American
dogs of that war was Stubby, a stray smuggled aboard a ship bound for France by recruit John Robert Conroy who
served with the 102nd Infantry, 26th (Yankee) Division, warned soldiers of gas attacks and incoming artillery
shells, and was later promoted to Sergeant. The Great War also left an indelible mark on the Marine Corps, which
adopted the English bulldog as its mascot in the years that followed. Since 1957, the bulldog mascot at Marine
Barracks Washington has been named Chesty, after Lieutenant General Lewis “Chesty” Puller, the most decorated
Marine in American History. It would take another world war, however, for the idea of a formal military dog
program to take hold. In March 1942, Dogs for Defense, a civilian group, was founded and asked families to
donate their pets to the war effort; by July 1943, more than 11,000 dogs had been acquired for training. Within a
decade, dog teams were serving in Korea, where they patrolled at night and detected enemy positions, and in
Vietnam, where an estimated 4,000 dogs and 9,000 handlers served, and the bond between handler and dog
became part of the fabric of the war. And in all conflicts that followed, Military Working Dog teams continued that
legacy, helping to valiantly protect and safeguard the lives of the troops beside them.
Among those who carried that legacy was United States Marine Corps Sergeant Adam Cann. A Florida native,
Sergeant Cann enlisted in 2000, trained as a military police officer and K-9 handler, and was paired with a Military
Working Dog named Bruno at Camp Pendleton before deploying to Iraq. On January 5, 2006, Sergeant Cann and
Bruno were providing security outside an Iraqi police recruitment center in Ramadi. Sergeant Cann, who
volunteered for duty on what was meant to be his day off, had instructed his fellow handlers, many of whom were
married with children, to stand down. When Bruno alerted to a suicide bomber in the crowd, Sergeant Cann
rapidly advanced on the man, causing the device to detonate early. The blast killed Sergeant Cann, 23, along with
an Army Lieutenant Colonel and 35 civilians, and wounded Bruno who refused to leave Cann’s side following the
tragedy. Thanks to Sergeant Cann’s selfless and knowing sacrifice, his fellow Marines were unharmed. He was the
first military dog handler killed in action since the Vietnam War.
Sergeant Cann was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star with combat “V” device for valor,
and was laid to rest with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery. Bruno, wounded in the blast,
survived, received a Purple Heart, and went on to help train the next generation of Military Working Dogs at
Camp Pendleton.
Sergeant Cann’s story reached Herkimer County through Legislator John Brezinski, Founder and Chairman of
Guardians of Freedom, who spent years working to bring a lasting tribute to Sergeant Cann and Bruno to the
Mohawk Valley. The resulting bronze monument, created by sculptor Lena Toritch and located just off Thruway
Exit 30, was unveiled in October 2023 before a crowd of more than 300 family members, friends, veterans, and
local dignitaries. It was Legislator Brezinski who championed the idea of dedicating the portion of Route 28 near
Sergeant Cann & Bruno’s monument to further memorialize the legacy of all Military Working Dog teams, and
through the combined advocacy of Assemblywoman Buttenschon, Assemblyman Smullen, and Senator Walczyk,
that the dedication became law.
“A military working dog and their handler share a bond that few of us will ever fully understand, built
on unwavering trust and a willingness to put each other first. Sergeant Adam Cann and Bruno lived
that special bond to the end. Heroes and inspirations to all Americans, this highway honors their legacy,
and it honors the valiant service of every working dog team who has served alongside our armed forces.
As actor and veterans’ advocate Gary Sinise has said, ‘While we can never do enough for our nation’s
heroes, we can always do a little more.’ Legislator Brezinski has embodied those words, first through the
monument and now through this dedication. I am grateful to him for his persistence, it has been an
honor to help champion this effort, and I am thankful to Assemblyman Smullen & Senator Walczyk for
introducing this legislation,” said Assemblywoman Buttenschon.
“I was proud to sponsor this legislation, alongside Assemblyman Robert Smullen, to dedicate this bridge
not just to the memory of elite handlers, but to the silent and fierce heroism of our nation’s military war
dogs. These canine patriots never asked for medals, rank, or recognition, yet they willingly ran forward
with our troops into the darkest corners of conflict, sniffing out danger and shielding our service
members from harm. May this highway stand as a lasting reminder of their unyielding loyalty.”
~Senator Mark Walczyk
John Brezinski reflected, “It has long been a goal of mine to find a way to properly honor our
four-legged soldiers, and the dedication of this stretch of State Route 28 as the ‘War Dog Memorial
Highway’ was the perfect solution. This dedication will bring further deserved attention to the countless
military working dogs who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in the protection of the servicemen and
women with which they valiantly served. It has meant a great deal to me to see this become a reality, as
these dogs are heroes and deserve to be recognized,” said the Legislator & Guardians of Freedom
Founder. “It was a collaborative approach to achieve this goal, and my heartfelt thanks goes out to
Senator Mark Walczyk, Assemblywoman Marianne Buttenschon, and Assemblyman Robert Smullen for
their persistence and efforts to see this through. Without your support we could not have achieved
success.”
Information about the Guardians of Freedom Memorial is available at gofmemorial.org.
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About Assemblywoman Marianne Buttenschon
Assemblywoman Marianne Buttenschon proudly represents New York’s 119th Assembly District, encompassing
the cities of Utica and Rome as well as the Towns of Floyd, Deerfield, Marcy, and Whitestown. From a lifelong
educator and former Dean of Public Service and Emergency Preparedness at Mohawk Valley Community College,
to a small family farm owner, Buttenschon brings decades of experience advocating for equity, access, and
opportunity across public health, education, agriculture, and emergency services. In the Assembly, she serves as
Chair of the Committee on Small Business and as a member of the Agriculture, Education, Higher Education, and
Veterans’ Affairs Committees, where she champions bipartisan solutions to improve quality of life. Her work
reflects a steadfast commitment to ensuring that every family in her district and beyond can live with dignity,
support, and a voice in their future.
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DISTRICT OFFICE: Room 401, State Office Building, 207 Genesee Street, Utica, New York 13501 • 315-732-1055, FAX: 315-732-1413
ALBANY OFFICE: Room 528, Legislative Office Building, Albany, New York 12248 • 518-455-5454, FAX: 518-455-5928
EMAIL: buttenschonm@nyassembly.gov
