Dog Serves as Best Man at Veteran's Wedding

By SHERRI LONON (Patch Staff)

When U.S. Army veteran Justin Lansford swore his undying love to his bride Carol Balmes in Largo, Fla., over the weekend, he had his best friend by his side.

In Lansford’s case, however, that best friend happens to have four legs and a bark that’s much worse than his bite.

Gabe, a Warrior Canine Connection-trained golden retriever, has been by Justin’s side since the end of 2013, Carol told Patch. The service dog was paired with Justin after he lost a leg during a 2012 IED explosion in Afghanistan.

“I was a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division and we were in eastern Afghanistan in early 2012,” Justin told ABC News. “We struck an IED and it flipped my truck completely. I had bilaterally severed femurs which resulted in the amputation of my left leg.”

Justin and Gabe became fast friends quickly after they were paired together. Gabe even helped Justin with the proposal last Veterans Day. He carried the box with the ring and a GoPro camera to film the memorable occasion.

When Carol and Justin, both natives of Gwinnett County, began discussing plans for their wedding ceremony, the decision to include Gabe in some fashion was a given, Carol said.

“It actually wasn’t really a discussion,” she said. “Gabe goes everywhere with us. One of us randomly said, ‘What is Gabe going to wear’” and it evolved from there.

As it turned out, Gabe wore a special vest to the ceremony that included all of Justin’s badges. He also stayed by the couple’s side throughout their wedding day.

From Snellville, Ga., Justin and Carol now call Tampa home. And, though they are still enjoying their first few days of wedding bliss, the two are more than willing to take time out to talk about Gabe and the Warrior Canine Connection. That nonprofit organization promotes the use of service dogs to help wounded warriors “reconnect with life, their families, their communities, and each other,” the organization’s website states.

To learn more about Warrior Canine Connection, a Brookeville, Maryland-based group, visit it online.

Photo credit: Brad Hall Studios