Pete Peterson was recruited for the combat trackers while recovering at a U.S. military hospital in Japan during the fall of 1968. It wasn’t a hard sell for the two trackers who shared his hospital ward. Peterson had lost several friends in a firefight with the North Vietnamese while he was sidelined with an ankle…
Soon after World War II erupted, the U.S. Marine Corps invited families who wanted to help the war effort to donate their pet dogs. It’s an indication of the era’s volunteerism that many people submitted their pets to be “enlisted.” Read More:
TUSCALOOSA, AL (WBRC) – The Marine Corps League in Tuscaloosa hosted a very special soldier Tuesday. Lucca is one of the countless four-legged soldiers that have served with the armed services since WWII. By taking a quick glance at Lucca you would think she were like any other dog. She loves her chew toy and…
All the dog teams I’ve written about so far work as military working dog handlers full time. But what about those handlers who are saddled with this immense responsibility just months before deployment? What if you were an Army infantryman, cook, truck driver, and your unit informed you one day that you would be attending…
Eighth-grade students at West Brook Middle School in Paramus learned on March 19 about the role dogs play in war, and how man’s best friend can be an amazing bodyguard. Dogs have been used in the United States military for years, and came to prominence during Vietnam, when their heightened senses were used to detect…
Currently there are an estimated 2,500 dogs deployed oversees to assist American troops, sent into situations which include detecting explosives and chasing down an enemy while facing combat and gunfire. It is estimated that each military dog saves approximately 150 soldiers during its years of service. Though in past conflicts, such asVietnam, military dogs were…
HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE, Calif. – The many abuses suffered by America’s troops in the Vietnam War – they were called “baby killers,” spat upon and treated like dogs – have since become common knowledge. But what about the actual dogs? Some 4,000 of them, who served brilliantly and faithfully alongside America’s fighting men in the…
DES MOINES, Iowa — The legend of Navy SEAL Jon Tumilson and his faithful Labrador retriever, Hawkeye, continues to grow. A now-famous photograph of Hawkeye guarding Tumilson’s flag-draped coffin in 2011 inspired this week’s episode of the hit CBS television series “NCIS,” according to one of its executive producers. “It all started with a photograph,”…
Dogs have been an important part of the United States military for decades. One even helped aid in the killing of Osama bin Laden. But according to doctors, these combat canines return from war many of them are suffering from some of the same health problems that are on the rise in their human counterparts.…
2/27/2013 – MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE, CALIF. — A U.S. Marine and his K9 companion crouch at the starting position, readying for the first task — securing a seemingly abandoned bread truck. When the signal was given, they take off! After a thorough search and clear, they proceed on to an old pick-up truck to…