Creating A War Dog Resolution And Memorial

[joseph...@msn.com]

Subject: Creating A War Dog Resolution And Memorial

 

 

Puppy Chiquita is very perceptive and apparently knows the Alphabet

     When traveling on the City Rail, the clickety-clack noise and wobbling worries her and She becomes very Kissy

To calm her worries, sing a Lullaby to her, except don't known any, and sing the Alphabet

     She has been known to tap on the Computer, then "WEE" appears on the screen

That is our word used when pick her up, since she wears a chest vest harness, which could unexpectedly squeeze her when lifting

     As Auditory Service Animal, She is an American War Dog

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from-

https://www.vdha.us/ 

War Dog Resolutions and Memorial

Creating a War Dog Resolution

Seek to Honor America's four-footed Soldiers

There is an effort to build a War Dog Monument at the Veterans Memorial Park

"Since America first used combat canines in World War I, more than 30,000 dogs have done everything for the military from carrying messages and first-aid supplies to the front, to searching for land mines and tunnels, detecting booby traps and trip wires all but invisible to two-footed soldiers, alerting troops to imminent ambushes, protecting camps, and tracking and capture the enemy.

At Bosnia, Kosovo and Afghanistan, hundreds of "military work dogs," as they're now known, have deployed to far-flung posts to serve as sentries, explosives sniffers and land-mine detectors. But it was in Vietnam that the canines really earned their stripes _ only to be shamefully betrayed by their nation in the end, Harvey, Aiello, Burnam and other members of the Vietnam Dog Handler Group contend. More than 4,000 dogs served in that war, where, with the Army alone, they racked up more than 88,000 missions in which at least 3,800 enemy soldiers were killed and 1,200 captured.

The dogs, mostly German shepherds, had one of the most dangerous jobs in combat _ ranging ahead of a patrol deep into enemy territory, usually at night. Some dogs served as many as five combat tours. They were so effective that the Vietcong offered a $20,000 bounty for their capture _ twice as much as the reward paid for a GI, according to war-dog histories.

An estimated 500 dogs died in combat in Vietnam. Others succumbed to illness, parasites or the tropical heat. Barely 200 were brought home to the United States

The thousands of others _ no one kept precise count _ were deemed surplus "equipment" by the Pentagon at the end of the war. These dogs were either euthanized by the U.S. military, turned over to the South Vietnamese army or simply abandoned as America hustled to pull out of the unpopular conflict. "They didn't get to come back home like we did. For them, (serving) was a dead end sentence," said former Air Force Sentry Dog handler, whose Dog was put to sleep after McCrumb left Vietnam in 1966. That fate gnaws deep at the veterans who, to a man, say their bond with the dogs _ with whom they spent 24 hours a day for more than a year, facing demise together _ was unlike what they forged before or since with anyone or anything. Some extended their combat tours just to remain with their four-footed buddies.

Others credit the dogs with keeping them sane

"Leaving my dog was the hardest thing I have ever had to do in my life," Air Force veteran and dog handler Bernhardt wrote on one of the several Web sites that have been built as tribute to these canines. "These dogs knew more of honor, devotion and duty than most people today." Burnam, a computer-systems analyst whose private mission is proselytizing about the dogs, is heartened by the support he has tapped in his travels. A fund for a national memorial has collected nearly $100,000. And, in a sign of belated appreciation, the Hasbro Company has introduced a Dog Handler to its GI series. "These dogs have been waiting long to get the credit they deserve," Burnam said. "I just feel in my heart we're going to get (it) for them."

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Donations to VDHA-

https://www.vdha.us/content23783.html

https://www.veteransmemorialparkpensacola.org/donations-war-dog 

"On behalf of Veterans Memorial Park Foundation, I wish to offer our sincere thanks and appreciation

     Veterans Memorial Park Foundation is a completely volunteer, 501(c) (3) nonprofit dedicated to honoring the memory of those who have given their lives in the service and defense of the United States of America

     Veterans Memorial Park exists as a place of repose and veneration for the spirits of the slain, to be kept forever from discord and contention

     Due to our community’s military tradition, we understand the honor of service, sacrifice, duty. Our monuments exist as a physical manifestation of the honor and respect we have for the brave soldiers who gave their lives to protect our country. Your tax-deductible donation will be used wisely. More than dollars, we rely on the support of individuals like you who care, and for this we thank you

Paul Entrekin

Maj, USMC (Ret)

President, Veterans Memorial Park Foundation

VMPF FEIN# 46-3073405

to be continued

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Vietnam Dog Handler Association (vdha.us)