Love of dog and country on Flag Day

Wearing a blue American Legion cap and walking with a cane, Bill Holiday proudly displayed the flag pole as dogs of all breeds and sizes jumped and played in the park.

“This is my flag. I’m a veteran of WWII, and I take pride in my community,” Holiday, 79, said.

The Costa Mesa resident has been planning a Flag Day celebration for a long time.

A member of the American Legion and a passionate dog lover, Holiday planned a small ceremony Wednesday to honor American service dogs at the flag pole in the Costa Mesa Bark Park.

“The whole thing is to dedicated to dogs, but especially dogs of service,” Holiday said.

Costa Mesa K-9 Robbie and his officer, Jerry Hildeman, were Holiday’s guests of honor Wednesday.

The flag pole has been years in the making, and Holiday wanted to ensure everything was ready in time for Flag Day.

The patio pavers were laid at 9 p.m. Tuesday night; a recently-installed white fence surrounded the new flag pole.

Being active in the community is key for the police dog program, Costa Mesa Police Sgt. Phil Myers said. It’s important for the public to see that the dogs are well-trained and aren’t as vicious as they’re depicted on television, Myers said.

Robbie, a 6-year-old Belgian Malinois, is trained in narcotic detection and in apprehending suspects. Robbie lives with Hildeman and his family.

Holiday said he plans to erect a plaque at the dog park in honor of America’s service dogs. When he finds some service dogs who have returned from Iraq, he’ll invite them.

The flag pole is just one of the improvements Holiday has spearheaded for the dog park.

“When I’m through, this place will look like the Taj Mahal,” Holiday said.

Holiday visits the park often with his dog, Annie, and has worked for the dog park since day one. His goal is to make Costa Mesa an entirely pooch-friendly city.

“It’s a wonderful thing for folks who love dogs,” Holiday said of the dog park. dpt.15-barkpark-BPhotoInfoVR1S07JE20060615j0vkrsncKENT TREPTOW / DAILY PILOT(LA)Officer Jerry Hildeman with police dog Robbie and American Legionnaire Bill Holiday.