On this Veterans Day let us take a moment to appreciate The Dogs of War.
Therapy Dogs in Iraq, USA Today, 12/12/07
1776: Newfoundland dogs served as messengers during the Revolutionary War
1865: During the Civil War, dogs were used as messengers, guards, and mascots
1884: The German Army established the first organized Military School for training war dogs at Lechernich, near Berlin
1898: Dogs served as scouts in the jungles of Cuba in the Spanish-American War
1914: Dogs served as messengers between trenches in World War I
1965: Some 3-4,000 scout and sentry dogs served in Vietnam
1991: During the Gulf War, the U.S. used 88 teams of dogs to guard and protect their troops, supplies and aircraft.
2009: Some 2,000 dogs serve GIs in the Middle East, mostly sniffing for explosives.
U.S. Air Force dog atop an M2A3 Bradley in Iraq, 2007
Sources:
The United States War Dogs Association
U.S. Army Quartermaster Foundation
Military Working Dog Adoptions (find out how to adopt a retired military dog, known for being “brave, heroic, loyal and noble.”)
Oh, those sweet little babies.
What a very nice tribute. We often forget that there were more than men participating in wars/military.
What a great post and what an interesting take on veterans day. I have given money in the past to a group that helps care for pets of service people deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
It’s easy to overlook the animals that serve in wartime. Thanks for this informative post! I especially like the first photo with the therapy dogs, I haven’t heard of them, and it makes me curious what kind of role they have.
Have you read
Nubs : the true story of a mutt, a Marine & a miracle
by Kirby Larson, ?? Very good book.
Never thought about the dogs of Service, give them a big bone Today :)