Great Britain honors their war heros

Britain took time to honor (or is it honour?) its animal war heroes at the newly restored Ilford Animal Cemetery in Essex, England, earlier this week.

This cemetery is the resting place of a dozen recipients of the Dickin Medal, which is the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross, Great Britain's highest military honor.

An example of an honoree is a cat, Simon, who despite being wounded during his tour of duty, continued to protect his ship's food from rat infestation and buoyed the spirits of the crew on the HMS Amethyst in 1949.

The ceremony also honored current heroes, such as Sadie, a black lab who is trained as an explosives search dog. She saved numerous lives by tirelessly sniffing out bombs in Afghanistan, and posed for pictures with a medal inscribed with, "they also served."

In addition, the full story highlights 32 pigeons who received this honor, which is more than any other species. Derek Partridge, of the Pigeon Racing Association provided the following quote:

These birds achieved so much and saved so many lives. It is worth remembering what they did for us, because we might not be here without all of these animals.

This is a wonderful way to acknowledge all who make a positive difference during wartime.