By Roslyn Ryan
Editor

Of all the members of Sergeant First Class Max Garner’s family who welcomed the soldier home on Oct. 6, perhaps none did it as exuberantly as Shaggy, the family’s aptly named Yorkiepoo. Powhatan Today readers may remember seeing Shaggy in our pages after this year’s county fair, when the pup pulled off a win for Best Costume in the fair’s first annual dog show. As it turned out, Shaggy’s outfit — a pint-sized motorcycle helmet, vest and goggles — wasn’t just for show. 

His owner, Debra Garner, explained that before her husband was deployed with Powhatan’s 180th Engineer Company last year, he and Shaggy frequently tooled around the area’s roads together on Max’s Harley Davidson. Now, after a year apart, the two have picked up where they left off.

For Debra, seeing Max and Shaggy suit up to ride together shortly after his return was just one more sign that life was returning to normal. Max, too, said last week that he is slowly but surely readjusting to being back from overseas.

Max — flying solo this time — will be speaking today at the Veteran’s Day ceremony on the Courthouse lawn at 11 a.m.
Having him home safe with her and their sons Matthew, 21, and Brandon, 10, is truly a blessing, said Debra.
“A lot of people talk about having heroes,” she said, shortly after Max returned, “but I married mine.”