Marine dog is Veterans Day star at Costa Mesa school

Mariners Christian School in Costa Mesa had an unusual guest at its 12th annual Veterans Day observance Tuesday.

Lucca, a 10-year old German shepherd and Belgian malinois mix who was seriously wounded by an explosive device while serving as a Marine search dog in Afghanistan, made an appearance with her handler, Gunnery Sgt. Chris Willingham, to help raise awareness of the work and sacrifices of military service dogs.

Lucca, the subject of “Top Dog,” a new book by author Maria Goodavage, was part of a patrol in Afghanistan on March 23, 2012, when an improvised explosive device that she had found blew up. Lucca suffered fairly extensive burns, and her left front leg had to be amputated.

Having served in some 400 missions, Lucca was officially retired from duty in May 2012 and adopted by Willingham.

The theme of Mariners Christian School’s program Tuesday was the role of animals in the military. The school and the local Mangic Foundation are donating a total of $21,500 to Freedom Dogs, an organization that provides service dogs to disabled military personnel.

The event began with a breakfast attended by about 200 invited guests, including veterans and active-duty military members.

Rob Vardon