Honors for Iraq vet, K-9 portrayed in film ‘Megan Leavey’

ALBANY, N.Y. — A U.S. Marine Corps veteran and the military dog she served with during the Iraq War have been inducted into the New York State Senate Veterans’ Hall of Fame.

Cpl. Megan Leavey and a German shepherd named Sgt. Rex were wounded by a roadside bomb in Iraq in 2006.

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The story of their service and Leavey’s fight to keep Rex after returning to the U.S. was told in a 2017 movie starring Kate Mara as Leavey. The Marine successfully battled military red tape to bring home Rex, who died in December 2012.

Leavey and Rex were among the 61 veterans from across the state who were honored by senators at the inductions held Tuesday in the Legislative Office Building in downtown Albany.

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