K-9 Veterans Day, March 13th...The Dogs of War.

S E E D E D   C O N T E N T

Today is K-9 Veterans day. A day to honor the dogs of war used by the US Military. They are on the front lines facing the same dangers as our troops. They protect/guard/search and as always, they are forever faithful. 

They give their lives to protect their handler and are due all honors. 

Today they are used in all branches of the military. Those that serve with our ''Special Forces'' are Airborne trained and full recipients of the Airborne ''wings''...

Located on the US Naval Base in Guam is a most unique cemetery. One for the War Dogs of the Marine Corps of WWII. I've had the honor to visit this cemetery. 

There have been many books written on the US Military War Dogs. If I was to recommend one it would be ''Forever Faithful'' by Captain William W. Putney, D.V.M., U.S.M.C. (ret)

The books is inspiring, humorous, poignant, sad, happy and most of all the bravery of the War Dogs and their Marine handlers. 

The War Dog units were started in WWII but in WWI was one of the most famous War Dogs of all time. Sargent Stubby, mascot and fighting infantry dog of the 26th Infantry (The Yankee Division)

https://worldwar1letters.wordpress.com/the-adventure-unfolds/over-there-1918-1919/stubby-the-26th-div-mascot/

The link is well worth reading..

Dogs have served in the US Military as far back as the Revolutionary War, but not officially until WWII.  

Joseph White, a retired military working dog trainer, came up with the idea for K-9 Veterans Day. By his efforts, his home state of Florida recognized the day in 2009. Other states have since recognized it as well, although it has not been recognized on the national level. The day is dedicated not only to K-9 veterans of the military, but also to customs dogs, search and rescue dogs, police dogs, border patrol dogs, and secret service dogs. March 13 is the date of the holiday because the K-9 Corps was created on March 13, 1942. The Quartermaster Corps of the Army began training dogs on that date, making it the moment when dogs officially became part of the U.S. Armed Forces.

Three months before   Pearl Harbor , U.S. Army Sgt. Robert H. Pearce started a small K-9 command program at Fort MacArthur in San Pedro, Los Angeles. He brought Hollywood dog trainer Carl Spitz on board. (Spitz was known for owning and training a Cairn Terrier named Terry, who was best known for playing the role of Toto in   The Wizard of Oz .) In January of 1942, they began asking people in Los Angeles to bring their dogs to Pershing Square to be used in the war effort. Over 1,000 dogs were brought, including Rudy Vallee's Doberman Pinscher, King, and Mary Pickford's German Shepherd, Silver. The program was known as Dogs for Defense. These dogs would go on to be used by the K-9 Corps.

Originally, thirty breeds of dogs were accepted by the K-9 Corps, but this was narrowed down to seven: German Shepherds, Siberian Huskies, collies, Belgian Sheepdogs, Doberman Pinschers, Eskimo dogs, and Malamutes. New dogs were first given obedience training. They were then given additional training to be a scout or patrol, messenger, sentry, or mine detector. Within eight to twelve weeks they completed their training. The original idea was to have 200 dogs in the K-9 Corps, but by the end of World War II, the number had ballooned to more than 10,400. Most of the dogs were family pets.

Although dogs were first formally trained for military service during World War II, they have been used in war since antiquity. More recently, some were used informally during the Civil War. During World War I, the German, British, and Belgian armies used them to pull carriages and wagons loaded with guns and supplies, to pull telephone lines, to carry messages, and to comfort those who had been injured. About 7,000 dogs were used in World War I, but not only a few of these were from the United States.

As of the late 2010s, over 2,500 dogs actively serve in the military, and about 700 are deployed overseas. Military dogs sniff out bombs and weapons, search and patrol, perform guard duty, and serve as companions to those who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. Military dogs are usually German Shepherds, Belgian Malinois, or Labrador Retrievers. Dogs in the military now can receive medals and awards, and they often have retirement and memorial services held for them. In law enforcement, dogs began being used more in the 1970s. These dogs patrol, perform search and rescue missions, and detect drugs, explosives, cadavers, and arson accelerants. Dogs in both military and law enforcement roles, as well as dogs in other similar official roles, are all honored today.

K-9 Veterans Day is being observed today! It has been observed annually on March 13th since 2008.