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"I can envision a small cottage somewhere, with a lot of writing
paper, and a dog, and a fireplace and maybe enough money to give myself
some Irish coffee now and then and entertain my two friends."
Lt. Richard Van de Geer, US
Air Force
(officially the last American to die in the Vietnam War)
HARTSDALE, CT — In times of war and
crisis, dogs have come to the aid of humans for millennia; Assyrian temple
carvings showing dogs leading warriors into battle date back as far as
1235 BC. But what has only entered the public's mind recently is the
question: What happens to war dogs after a war?
Now,
before I tell, let's review a few interesting statistics and learn exactly
what a war dog is.
In general, U.S. war dogs are used in the
following capacities:
-
Sentry
dogs are taught to accompany a military or civilian guard on
patrol and give warning at the approach or presence of strangers.
-
Scout
dogs are sentry dogs who are also specially trained to detect
snipers, ambushes and other enemy forces.
-
Messenger
dogs are especially loyal and motivated to work with two handlers,
able to travel between them silently using natural cover to conceal
themselves.
-
Mine dogs
(called "M-dogs") find trip wires and booby traps as well as
metallic and non-metallic mines and explosives.
Other nations
certainly recognize the value of dogs as well. In Russia during
WWII, White Samoyed dogs were used to pull white-clad sharpshooters close
to enemy lines. In one sector of the front, a team of sled dogs
carried 1,239 wounded men from the battlefield. (Note: while dogs
serve bravely in almost all nations, this article only touches upon those
used by the United States, simply because data and statistics are readily
available.)
| War Dogs in the U.S. Military |
| WW
II (1939-1945) overseas |
1894 |
| Korean
War (1950-1953) |
1500 |
| Vietnam
War (1961-1975) |
3800 |
The above chart refers
only to dogs deployed overseas, which were far less in number than those
used stateside. For example, in WWII, 3174 dogs were issued to the
U.S. Coast Guard for beach patrols guarding against enemy submarine
attacks. (They can smell submarines, too? Gosh; that's what I call a
nose!)
|
Pacific Theater, World War II
(Photo: K.M. Born / U.S.
Army Quartermaster Museum)
In the Vietnam War, 281 dogs were
officially listed as killed in action. Almost all of the remaining
thousands were euthanized after they had completed their service.
Until Nov. 6, 2000, the United States had no organized policy of finding
homes for war dogs at the end of their useful working life, but that would
change after Congressman
Roscoe G. Bartlett (R-6th District, MD) introduced H.R. 5314 on
behalf of "military working dog number W005", more familiarly
known as "Robby."
To make a long story short, the bill was
signed into law, thanks to the outpour of public support, and now Robby's
legacy is Public
Law 106-446, which promotes "the adoption of retired military
working dogs by law enforcement agencies, former handlers of these dogs,
and other persons capable of caring for these dogs."
Robby himself was euthanized at Lackland
Air Force Base on Jan. 19, 2001 due to his failing health. Although
he never had a chance to lavish in the spoils of his own legacy, other war
dogs may benefit in the years to come. Robby's simple granite
headstone at the Hartsdale
Pet Cemetery hardly expresses the magnitude of his great
contribution:
"Devoted
Military Dog:
The Inspiration for the First War Dog Retirement Law."
§§§
To see a list of war dogs up for
adoption, click
here or call 1-800-531-1066.
§§§
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