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Legislation would honor thousands of dogs that served in war


Jun. 25, 2007
WASHINGTON - If it's true that every dog has its day, then the tens of thousands of canines who have served in every U.S. military operation since World War I could finally be getting theirs.

Legislation moving through Congress would create a national monument honoring the four-legged soldiers who sniff out booby traps, guard military bases, track down missing service members and faithfully perform countless other acts.

Officially they are known as Military Working Dogs, but retired service members call them simply "war dogs."

"Having a dog in the service is, I think, why I'm still here," said Bruce Wellington of Camarillo, who served in the Marines in the Pacific during World War II with his German shepherd mix Prince.

A corporal in the 2nd War Dog Platoon, Wellington said war dogs and handlers in his platoon led more than 500 patrols into enemy territory.

"Never was a patrol ambushed," he said, crediting the dogs' acute hearing and smell, and intense training that helped soldiers read their canines' signals.

"There would be thousands more American grave marks in Vietnam, World War II, Korea, even today without these dogs," said John C. Burnam, author of "Dog Tags of Courage: Combat Infantrymen and War Dog Heroes in Vietnam."

Burnam has made it his life's mission to seek recognition for the estimated 4,000 dogs who served in Vietnam.

The first step

Actual construction of a memorial could be years away. But a key first step came in May when the House approved the 2008 Defense Authorization Bill instructing the Pentagon to make way for a monument at a U.S. military installation.

Under terms of the bill, Burnam's nonprofit group National War Dogs Memorial Inc. would pay for and maintain the monument. The measure could go to President George W. Bush by October.

Dogs were first used in the U.S. military during World War I as sentries and messengers. During World War II, the U.S. Army devised a program specifically for training war dogs, and hundreds of families across the country donated puppies for the war effort.

Dr. William Putney of Woodland Hills was selected to be one of the first Marine Corps commanding officers for the military's still-experimental program.

A veterinarian before the war, Putney worked tirelessly when he returned home to Southern California until his death in 2003 to let the country know about the dogs' heroics.

"They were faithful to us right to the end," Putney said in a soon-to-be-released documentary by Sherman Oaks filmmaker Harris Done, tentatively titled "Always Faithful: War Dogs of the Pacific."

In the film - and in a book Putney wrote also titled "Always Faithful' " - the San Fernando Valley veterinarian recalls how his own dog Cappy was killed in battle.

After the war, Putney was given the job of "detraining" 550 war dogs and returning most of them to the homes from which they were donated to live out their days. Some, like Wellington, wrote to the original owners and received permission to keep the dogs.

Bratton's dog

In 1949, however, the military reclassified war dogs as "equipment." When their service was completed, they were euthanized.

The policy stuck for a half-century. Of the more than 4,000 dogs that served in the Vietnam War, officials estimate fewer than 200 returned home.

Among those who were forced to leave their dogs behind in Vietnam was Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton.

A sentry dog handler for the U.S. Army, Bratton recalled long nights patrolling base perimeters during his one-year tour of duty with Duchess, a small German shepherd.

"Working with sentry dogs are long, boring nights. The dog becomes your best friend," Bratton said. "The dogs never left Vietnam."

In 2000, President Bill Clinton signed legislation allowing military dogs to be adopted at the end of their working lives by former handlers and other qualified caregivers.

Done and others credit Putney with advocating tirelessly for the cause. The canines' plight also was aided by the 1999 documentary "War Dogs."

Narrated by actor Martin Sheen, the documentary was produced in Studio City and funded by former Corona Mayor Jeffrey Bennett, then the owner of a pet food company. Bennett put up more than $1.5 million to help tell the war dogs' stories.

Smaller monuments to war dogs have been erected at March Air Force Base in Riverside as well as at Fort Benning, Ga. But Bennett called the possibility of a national memorial "spectacular."

"It's time," he said, recounting stories of dogs sniffing out Viet Cong hiding underground, or diving off patrol boats and emerging with an enemy soldier loaded with explosives in their jaws.

"Nobody really understands the role these animals played in fighting our wars," Bennett says.

Bratton agrees.

"Their work was often done out of the public eye," Bratton said, calling a national monument in war dogs' honor "very appropriate."

Pet-friendly

Meanwhile, hundreds of military officials are keeping the stories of war dogs alive in cyberspace and film. There are at least four Web sites devoted to recounting the history of military canines.

Done said he is seeking an outlet to air his documentary. Putney in particular, he said, would have been delighted at how far the movement for a national monument has come.

"He worked so hard to make sure the dogs' sacrifice wasn't forgotten," Done said. "Nobody would be as happy as him."

Burnam said he, too, can scarcely believe national recognition for war dogs is almost a reality. He has just one requirement: that the memorial be pet-friendly.

"You definitely want dogs to come," Burnam said.

This is an old article. This news hasn't been given the coverage that it should have. The organizations behind this have reached their goal in the amount needed to build this memorial. Now it is just up to the legislators to stop playing around with the measure and get it through to the President.

This is cool. I had not heard of this before. I love animals... they truly are mans bestfriend, Jesus being #1 of course!

(http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b207/tinabaran/sheltie/collie-lapel-pin2.jpg)

Tina , I want to tell you how the Lord in a dream save me from a lots of trouble through my little dog my precious little chihuahua...i am a little tire right but i will try to copy my dream cause i wrote  it down.. i had that dream  when i was being attack and harass on the Christians unite blog..pay attention to see how my God work so i would not respond and let Him thee almighty do the work...there it goes..my dreamfrom the night of 27-to 28 July 07.." I was in one apartment kitchen looking around I saw a chickenresting in a corner,I said to myself that is pretty nice,they keep loose chickens here,that one resting in the corner was a light beige,there was a couple of other ones beige walking around  a table ,and my little dog my sweet little dog was under the table,so being protective of him I worry that if the chickens would get together  to close to him (him being so little) they would get to his eyes,cause chickens do that they attack and peck the eyes,  so  i  bend  down  under  the table to  covers  his  eyes  cause  the  chickens  were  aiming  for  the  table ," HORROR"as  I  cover  with  my  left  hand  my  little  dog  eyes  that were  wide  open    there  on  TOP  OF  HIMM  WAS  A  BIG  BIG  CHICKEN GREAT  BIG  ONE   WITH  MY  LITTLE  DOG  NECK  IN  HER  BEAK(MOUTH) from  the  top  in  the  back of  his  little neck..I  grab  with  my right  hand very very hard  and I felt the strength  of the Lord the neck  of  the  chicken  and did not  let  go  and I  scream  loud  loud  EMANUEL EMANUEL..Looking up EMANUEL...the blood was not on  my  little  dog but  on  the  chicken neck..and then the  Psalm 66 came to mind..you see Tina the chickens were trying to get my attention while  SHE was killing my dog which in the dream represent me  .."but the mighty hand of God that I felt "i really felt the power of the strenght of God in my right hand i knew that God had taken over my case..It was His battle now not mine for it is all about Him not me.......well  i  never thought  that i would write that to you..but He does say in His word that He would tell us what to say ..so there you go..love in Jesus,Def ....." they Killl me because of Jesus ,wath a precious grace that i do not deserve ,thank you My Lord Jesus cause It was all for you ,because you died for me first and that my God Your Father loved me first I am but a servant,and I love you.....your daughter Je taime Def .

Hi Def,

   How amazing our Lord is and He is there all the time to help us in times of need.  I can only imagine the Peace and Love you must have felt after waking up after having that dream from the Lord!

..Well you see,i knew from past experience  i had to wait for  a word from the lord somehow one way or a other,,, and i had to be silent, so i was sitting on a bench  in a smelly glouey  under water hotel with Jonah with and Jeremiah... being still knowing that He was God..my message until the dream was wait on God.. after the dream i knew  the sharing of the blog it was a one way thing There way.it was a power thing..not God`s way.   i did not mind after I saw the mischiefmaker and then i knew that God was not there cause  where God is there is PEACE ..as for me it is all about God those verse I put one at the time as follow one after the other ,,here they are.. i meditate till God open my eyes to them  1Cor 8:3  and verse1 Cor 8:6   and John 6:65 and then    It is all about John 3:16"God so Loved the world,that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever beliveth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.and then only then does the verse  John 14:6 come along and finish the salvation of me..i believe a i receive iam free and read to go up up and away   Tina my sister suffrir for Him who died for me was a honnor  that i do not deserve but His way are not my way .. thank you Jesus Christ for showing me the way..My God my Father I love you..your daughter.... Tina nice visite  YOUR MOVE..in Jesus Def

Hello Everyone,

YES - these dogs are fearless, and they will gladly give their life in service. The same is true for many police dogs who die in the line of duty. I can only speak for my department about how retired police dogs are treated. They are given the best love, care, and attention from the family of the handler. Our dogs are official members of the department with a badge number and all. They work hard, and they prevent a lot of injuries and worse for the officers who work with them.

Military working dogs are very similar to police dogs. In fact, our dogs even train together on a regular basis. It's hard for average people to understand what wonderful services they perform and what they're worth to the people lucky enough to serve with them.

I would really make some of the same statements about other working dogs, even though most of them aren't trained for daily life-threatening work. The list would include drug and bomb dogs, dogs for the blind, and all kinds of other working dogs who enhance the quality of life for humans. A good working dog has many times the drive and dedication of a human, so it's very difficult to determine their worth in terms of money. In fact, I wouldn't want to consider them as a monetary object. They are much more than that.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Tom, my little dog serves in my war in a big way,. Yesterday,Tom, i tape a small picture of him`my little dog on a picture that I have of Jesus on the cross ,I place my little dog at the foot of the cross"  so he can protect Jesus so no one will get near Him and hurt him more" the Picture is a picture of Jesus on the cross from the movie the passion of the Christ .it is very personal gesture,Because I gave myself and my little dog to Jesus so He can give me  whenever He is ready to the Father my most Powerful Wonderful Gracious Righteous God ...good night Tom in Jesus Def forever...(";")

Hi! Tina Ooh how glad i am to say good night to you
Tina some how i cannot send little image back you known the ones I snag from you since two day i can only send smileys can you help..in Jesus Def.

It tell me that you are full " for the picture  you known like the cross "your move  I cannot send anymore  I can snag but not send..

Hello Sister Def,

Do you JUST copy these pictures to your own computer, or do you upload them to PhotoBucket, a permanent web site, or something else with a regular Internet Address?

If you just copy it to your own computer, you wouldn't be able to do anything with it except use it in an email or something else that has the capability to store a picture. The same would be true of anything else that would have to be transmitted (i.e. music). Email will also carry music if you have a fancy email program. Otherwise, something has to transmit the same photo over and over again, and there must be a place where it is being sent from 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Your personal computer wouldn't do that unless it's a server permanently and continually sending and receiving on the Internet.

Maybe this might be an example. My fingers type on Christians Unite while I'm here, and there isn't any way to keep my fingers typing when I turn my computer off. If the picture is simply on your computer, that's what you're wanting it to do, and it won't do it. Text that you type stays, but pictures have to be sent over and over again. Here's one more example that might help you. If PhotoBucket has a big fire and their computers go down, all of my pictures on Christians Unite will disappear because there will be nothing left to keep sending them.

Love In Christ,
Tom