SOUTH SIOUX CITY, NE -
Siouxland Freedom Park in South Sioux City held a very special ground breaking today, to mark the opening of a dog park in honor of a fallen Siouxland dog handler.
Navy Seal John Douangdara, along with 29 fellow service members and his assault dog Bart were killed when their helicopter crashed in Afghanistan in 2011.
Chan Follen stood very close to the finished sketch of her brother's memorial statue, as she said a few words in his honor, and then broke ground on a very special park.
The shovel they used to break ground represents a lot to Chan and her family. It represents a new beginning, and gives them the chance to remember John.
"He's buried out in Arlington, so he's not close to home; so we wanted something that would be of him, close to home," Follen said.
Douangdara's statue will be revealed next year on Memorial Day. The total cost of it was $50,000, all of which were given in donations. The dog park is just a small portion of the bigger picture — the construction of Siouxland Memorial Park. It will honor past, present, and future veterans. The land avoided flood waters last year, and is good condition for families to come out.
"As you look out over this, it's a beautiful site, it never got wet, it never will, and it's just going to be a great place for the families to bring children, the dogs, we've had schools talk to my wife a little about the history part of it so, and here comes the dirt to start surging for the building now," Dan McNamara, Economic Development Director for South Sioux City.
These trucks are literally laying the ground for an interpretive center. And Chan is excited to get things going.
"It's bittersweet, just due to the fact that my brother has passed, is the reason why we're doing this, but it gives us drive knowing that we're one step closer to actually erecting his statue," Follen said.
The park should be open this weekend, and if you wish to donate, you can do so online by going to www.siouxlandfreedompark.org or you can call 712-222-1686.
