While a grateful nation prepares to honor our service personnel on November 11, give a moment of thought to the canines who worked alongside our soldiers, sailors and air personnel. About 30,000 dogs served in the United States military during the twentieth century. Dogs have served in the military since the World War I. The old-school dogs performed sentry, guard, scouting and messenger functions.
Consider the story of World War I hero Rags. The small terrier served more than a mascot of the 1st Infantry Division. When members of the 1st Division troops were surrounded by the enemy, Rags imitated the soldiers he saw by crawling along the trenches. The terrier delivered a SOS message -- a note attached to his collar -- to the 7th Field Artillery. Rags saved the members of the trapped unit.
During World War I, Stubby the Pit Bull ferreted out a German spy and held by at bay until relief arrived. When soldiers of the 102nd Regimental Infantry recaptured Chateau Thierry in 1918, appreciative townswomen fashioned a chamois uniform for Stubby replete with ally flags, chevron stripes and a stripe to denote wounds that the pit bull sustained when a grenade exploded.
The military recruited dogs -- including household pets -- to serve in combat situations in World War II. During the Korean War, dogs patrolled warehouses to prevent pillaging and looting. In the Republic of Vietnam (RVN) , military dogs and their human handlers are credited with saving the lives of more than 10,000 troops. An estimated 325 military canines died in RVN. In the Persian Gulf, dogs patrol perimeters and detect explosive devices.
In 2003 National Geographic offered an article documenting feats of the military canine corps:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/04/0409_030409_militarydogs.html
Earlier this year, The Sun detailed exploits of dogs serving in Iraq with the British military:
As did the Washington Post:
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