MARSOC Marine to be honored in dedication ceremony

CAMP LEJEUNE, NC (WWAY) — A MARSOC Marine will be honored in a ceremony Monday in memory of both him and his canine partner overseas.

A MARSOC spokesperson said a Multi-Purpose Canine kennel will be named in honor of Cpl. David M. Sonka. They said Cpl. Sonka, along with his Multi-Purpose Canine Flex and SSgt. Eric D. Christian, were killed in May of 2013 in Afghanistan. The spokesperson said Cpl. Sonka, an Aurora, Colo., native, was on his second combat deployment. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart medal.

Flex, part of the MARSOC Multi-Purpose Canines, has three primary tasks: detecting explosive and human odors, tracking and trailing persons and protection for the handler and teammates.

The dedication ceremony will be at Stone Bay, aboard Camp Lejeune, at 10 a.m. Monday.