Welcome to Discover Fort Monroe.

This week I want to approach a more somber topic.

I want to talk about Fort Monroe's Pet Cemetery.

Now, before I get started, I feel like I have to tell you it is currently a felony to bury a pet up here.

There are serious national historic preservation laws that protect historic landscapes.

Now we've got the business out of the way.

Let's take a look into the stories and the history as a unique way to explore Fort Monroe historic landscape.

Animals have always been an important part of Fort Monroe.

In these early photos, we see them being used for a more utilitarian purpose, which was commonplace 100 plus years ago.

And not just at Fort Monroe.

Animals and pets have always been an important part of the U.S.

Military and its personnel.

I mean, we all love our pets.

I have a cat who is unfathomably important to me.

And on the heartbreaking day that our four legged family members pass, we want somewhere special for the final resting place.

It's with this spirit that the first pet cemetery in Hartsdale, New York, opened in 1896 and still runs to this day.

Over the years, the sentiment for our furry friends has grown and the US has over 700 pet cemeteries.

Many U.S.

military bases like Langley have had or have a pet cemetery with such a people rich history.

It's no surprise that Fort Monroe has one too.

This one started in 1928 when a maintenance foreman, Milo Begar, got permission for a U.S.

Coastal Artillery Colonel to bury his dog.

And even contributed a wooden cross that Milo whittled himself.

The Pet Cemetery of Fort Monroe stretches from the Flagstaff Bastion all the way west of the Main Gate, with the earliest headstone dating back to 1936.

With such intoxicating charm, incredible views.

It's no surprise that the people stationed here chose Fort Monroe as the final resting place for their four legged family member.

People often ask me about my dog Fritz and his journey with the military.

Honestly, his life was just like any other.

Moving from base to base.

He was adopted in 1960, but he was already a seasoned traveler before my brother and I even came along.

Fritz, named after my grandpa, is a sweet, loyal companion who never complained about the constant change.

He was always there, patiently waiting at the door with a wagging tail.

I'm so proud he rest along with other military pets who faithfully serve their families.

It's a legacy we honor every time we visit the moat.

One famous Fort Monroe dog is said to be buried in the pet cemetery, and that's none other than Sergeant Patches.

Sergeant Patches, for those that don't know, was an adorable Great Dane that acted as a mascot for the Second Coast Artillery and had quite the party trick.

Sergeant Patches could fire one of the 12 inch disappearing guns atop the battery here, bigger than the one behind me.

You could see in the early photos of him doing so, and with the military personnel, the absolute love and joy that he brought to everyone he was around.

But on the day that Sergeant Patches hung his collar up, he was belovingly rested atop the ramparts in the pet cemetery here at Fort Monroe.

But his spirit lives on.

He continues to be a mascot for Fort Monroe and for the Junior Ranger program for the National Park Service.

The Pet Cemetery is one of the many personable reasons people love Fort Monroe, and it now gives a unique, sentimental way to look at Fort Monroe's historical presentation.

Closed in 1988 and being one of the oldest pet cemeteries in the area, with over 400 burials, the stories are endless.

Like Fritz the Dachshund or the goldfish that a young girl buried here.

I know it's a somber topic this week, but we can take comfort in knowing that these important family members have a breathtaking final resting place that their loved ones can visit.