Marine Wanted To Give A Proper Farewell To The Battle Buddy Who Was More Than Just A Dog

U.S. Marine veteran Lance Cpl. Jeff DeYoung wanted to give Cena, his black Labrador battle buddy, a farewell ceremony fit for a Marine. The dog kept him warm during cold nights in Afghanistan and helped him cope with pain back home in America.

Cena the black lab received a hero’s farewell Wednesday before being euthanized at a museum ship in Muskegon and carried off in a flag-draped coffin.

Cena was way more than just a dog to the veteran, and he felt it was only right to say goodbye with the utmost respect. The cancer-stricken dog retired in 2014 as a bomb-sniffer for the Marines and then became a service dog for Lance Cpl. Jeff DeYoung.

DeYoung organized the celebration for the dog. He says he wanted to take his dog on one last ride in a topless Jeep before Cena was put down. The Jeep was decorated and named “Cancer Response Team.”