Marine and K-9 hero honored in Clarkstown

A Marine and her four-legged friend, who served the country overseas, were honored in Clarkstown today.
The town is has officially named the canine areas at Congers Lake Memorial Park as the 'Clarkstown's K-9 Corral.' In addition to honoring the town's police department K-9s, the areas are dedicated to Marine Cpl. Megan Leavey and her bomb-sniffing dog, Rex.
Leavey, a Purple Heart recipient and Valley Cottage native, served with the German Shepard on dozens of missions in Iraq. She faced another battle when she came back to the states and fought to keep Rex by her side after their tour of duty ended.
The best friend duo garnered national attention from her mission to bring him home and a movie was even released about the heroes.
Though Rex passed away in 2012, Leavey was all smiles today and says she hopes he lives on here. "I hope it's a nice place where people can come let their dog get some exercise, meet new people [and] socialize. And the fact that they're going to walk in here and see Rex's picture each time they comes  in is very sentimental and meaningful to me."
Leavey was not alone at today's event. She had her 10-year-old chocolate lab by her side. Patriot is also a hero, as he is a retired bomb-detecting dog from New York City.