Vietnam War Dogs
More than 4,000 dogs served in the Vietnam
war. The vast
majority of the Vietnam war dogs were German Shepherds.
Vietnam Canine Soldiers
The Soldier Dog
I was trained to use my eyes
to watch and protect you from harm.
My ears to alert you of impending
danger like an alarm.
My keen sense of smell to detect
an enemy close at bay.
Yes I was a soldier who gave my life
so you could fight another day.
So remember me as time goes by
This soldier dog so true.
For I had only one life to give
and I gave that life to you.
~Joe Ferrar
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The Vietnam war dogs are believed to have
saved the lives
of 10,000 US soldiers during the conflict.
Superior Ability
The dense jungle environment limited the
capacity of soldiers to see
and hear the enemy. This was made even more difficult at
night.
Dogs, with their extraordinary sense of sight, smell and hearing, are
able to detect danger much more quickly and easily than their handlers.
It is estimated that search
and rescue dogs can replace humans by a ratio of
1-20 or more. The Vietnam war dogs were invaluable and the
soldiers relied on them to extend their own senses.
These military working dogs were so effective that
the Viet Cong reportedly offered a $20,000 bounty for their capture.
This was twice the
amount paid for a GI.
Yet only 204 of those dogs were brought back to the country for which
they
had devotedly served.
Dark Ages for the Military K9
So what happened to the rest of them?
Despite their remarkable effectiveness, 95% of those four-legged heroes
were never sent back to US soil.
The
reward for
their
courageous, life-saving efforts?
Left to die in a
foreign land. |
Most of them were
considered surplus military "equipment" and euthanized. Many
were turned over to ARVN, the South Vietnamese Army. The
rest
were simply abandoned.
The fate of these devoted dogs still eats away at the veterans
who say they owe their
lives to their canine comrades. They swear leaving them
behind was the hardest thing
they have ever done.
One
would think the Vietnam dog handlers had enough to deal with.
- Far away from family and
friends
- Fighting a difficult and unpopular war
- Experiencing
the loss of comrades
- Returning
home to a resentful public
And to top it off, they had to leave behind
the dog they had bonded
with in a war zone. The one that saved
their life on many occasions and served to
boost their morale.
The Discovery Channel showed a powerfully
moving documentary called War Dogs: America's
Forgotten Heroes .
It portrays
the emotional and untold story of the Vietnam war dogs and their
handlers.
This video should really be packaged with a
box of tissues.
Another
tear jerker is a book written by Sgt. John
E. O'Donnell, USAF Vietnam Combat Veteran
and K-9 Sentry Dog Handler.
None
Came Home: The War Dogs of Vietnam is a
poignant
tribute
to these unsung
canine heroes and the soldiers that were their handlers.
Better Late Than Never
Finally, a law was passed by Congress in
2000 which
allowed for the
retirement of military dogs. Even today, dogs in the military are still
deemed as
"surplus." But,
instead of instant euthanasia, they have the chance to be adopted and
enjoy a dignified retirement.
Let's all pitch in to help make sure these
canine war heroes are never
again disposed of as surplus equipment. Ron Aiello, former Vietnam dog
handler and President of the U.S.
War Dogs Association was instrumental in helping Iraqi born Military
K9 Fluffy, leave the country. His website is dedicated to
honoring our nation's war dogs as well as their handlers.
Many of the Vietnam war dogs could have
listened to their instincts to flee, yet they courageously risked
their own lives to protect their soldiers. Humans may fight over
politics. But, dogs defend humans out of pure devotion.
That's what makes them heroes.
Please help honor military working dogs with
a commemorative stamp.
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