Former dog sentry handler Richard Cunningham shared a history about well-trained dogs as a new kind of warfare. I know you have a son and I know that he had to be very proud of you. to Vietnam & Thailand Air Force/Navy bases and some Army dogs used in Of the 4,000 dogs that served in-country, fewer than 200 made it back to the States. We now have 2,000 former dog handlers in our organization today., Airman 2/C George Bevich, a dog handler in Vietnam is pictured with his dog, Rex. When a handler asks another handler to decoy for their MWD. At 6:06 a.m. Thursday, former Airman 1st. The tracker dog teams were very effective and relied on heavily. The German shepherd dog and handler were generally deployed with the infantry and combat engineer units. The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test determines where a prospective service member might excel in the military. Ive heard it said that without our military dogs, there would be 10,000 additional names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall. EIN: 52-1149668, Copyright 2023 The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, Javascript must be enabled for the correct page display. Tags: 212th Military Police Sentry Dog Company, A human nose has about five million scent receptors, aggression, American "smells", and scouting, Dogs, Dogs and their handlers went through three phases of instruction: drill/obedience, Lackland Air Force Base, Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, New Zealand's elite Special Air Service in Malaysia, sentry dog handler, Tay Ninh, Tay Ninh Base Camp, Vietcong, Vietnam War, Your email address will not be published. "Nemo", born in October 1962, entered the United States Air Force as a sentry dog in 1964, at the age of 1 years. Nemo returned to Lackland in July 1967 as a part of an Air Force dog recruitment team. Battles/Campaigns: Vietnam. He researched what became of his dog, Prince, and published the results in a book he self-published in 2016. And throughout training that special bond was formed between trooper and dog. Ray Roberts & King, Da Nang AB Vietnam April 1973 Photo Courtesy of Don Poss, Fred Hewitt & Sentry Dog Bullet Da Nang AB Perimeter Dec 1967 Photo courtesy of Monty Moore, A1C Shark and K-9 Heino at Cam Ranh Bay AFB Vietnam. dog's fate! Twelve members of the RAF Police and their Military Working Dogs competed to be crowned champion and 'Best in Trade,' at the RAF Police 2021 UK Military Working Dog Trials. Most MWDs that defecate in their kennels will simply wait for their handler to clean it up. Links of Private donations poured in and a major $50,000 grant from the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission was key in getting the project off the ground. Photo Above shows the terrible wound suffered by Nemo. " And it took less time for a Lab than a German shepherd to get used to a new handler. At times we had to lay on our dogs to keep them quiet when he VC ran by. TogetherWeServed.com Inc. All Rights Reserved | Not a U.S. Government Website. The dogs sense of smell and hearing saved a lot of American lives. By clearing routes of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and sniffing out other explosive ordinance, they're helping to save the lives of coalition and Afghan forces. Second line sentry dog teams detected the enemy force, and Security Police killed or captured several of them. Our units responsibility was to protect the Tay Ninh Base Camp, and especially the ammunition dump. and secondary sources, describes the epizootic, The handler and dog led combat patrols and provided an early silent warning of danger. be successfully treated with tetracycline; this King, a two-year combat veteran sentry dog in Vietnam, gets a rewarding word from his handler, Sgt Paul F. Esser, New Orleans, a security police dog handler at Binh Thuy AB after the K-9 signed his Air Force Home Times News Release form with an inked paw. "We now have 2,000 former dog handlers in our organization today." Airman 2/C George Bevich, a dog handler in Vietnam is pictured with his dog, Rex. I laugh at some of the things we all did. K9 Butkus Explosive detector school Lackland 1980. omen were first added to the military working dog program in 1974. Prince worked in San Diego sniffing for drugs at the border. Lisa Rogak, in " The Dogs of War," commented that the Viet Cong offered the equivalent of $20,000 for a dog's ear; proof of the handler's death only garnered the equivalent of $10,000. Then the US government in the end of the war would not allow the scout dogs to come home instead they were either euthanized or turned over to the ARVN an ultimately end up on the dinner table. These dogs and their handlers are credited with saving more than 10,000 U.S. lives (imagine The Wall with 10,000 more names inscribed on it) and preventing certain injury for countless more. First parade float to honor military working dogs! He received the Silver Star for alerting the airbase a VC attack was coming. The Labradors, with their amazing noses, went straight to tracker training. I know I felt it with Smokey. On November 1, 1964, between 12:25 and 12:33 AM, Vietnamese Communist (VC) troops attacked Bien Hoa Air Base with six 81-mm mortars positioned about 400 meters north, outside the air base. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Handler controls and pets the dog. There were also mine and booby trap dogs. Our US Air Force Dog Handler, K9 Unit Experience, Cam Ranh AB. Zachary Wolf) The United States Military Working Dog DemonstrationTeam was formed in 1975 at Lackland AFB. The sculpture was created by Alan Cottrill, a sculptor from Zanesville, Ohio. Stamps, a military working dog handler with the 35th Security Forces Squadron, describes this as "battling a streak of stubbornness" taken on during the two-week rapport stage destined to nurture their new relationship. The typical responsefrom a handler whose dog was jammed is to ask the decoy if they want peanut butter. Over 1,600 + dogs are Handlers attend a three-month training program at Joint Base SA-Lackland to learn dog-handling procedures. When the war ended, many handlers wanted to bring their dogs home to America. 00, 000, 0000 000 General Military Duty 0001 Duties Unassigned 0002 General Officer 0003 "Relieved From Duty, Sick in Hospital or Quarters" 0005 ROTC Officer Awaiting Entry On Active Duty . Dogs and their handlers went through three phases of instruction: drill/obedience, aggression, and scouting. They must have established a very strong bond with these dogs and when one of the team gets wounded or killed thee emotions of loosing your best friend is embedded in your brain forever. Air Force dog handlers provided a unique and critical capability in defending air bases against attack. . Interest and the Sandbox. You are a member of that organization and your name is on our honor roll. In this Holland Vietnam Veterans episode, I interviewed Bob Curnick, a dog handler who served in the Air Force from 1972-1976. Very few dogs were redeployed to U.S. bases outside of South Vietnam to live out their lives in peace. I, for one, think thats an understatement.. USAF Smoke in the background. Photo provided. The XM177 series was deployed to Vietnam being used by a variety of units, including US Army Military Police and US Air Force Combat Security Police (primarily by dog handlers) and US. Copyright 2003-2021. United States War Dog Association (USWDA) was established in 2000 by 5 dog handlers (Ron Aiello, Bucky Grimm, Bob Cicero, Bob Thompson, and Al Gunderson) who served in Vietnam. Deadly Disease for Military Working Dogs in SEA The only thing that would make him happier is if he could have brought Prince home himself. Tragically, after the Vietnam War, military dogs were left behind and not brought home with their handlers. Parade Float 2013. What did the S. Vietnamese Army do to the dogs, eat them? BalanceRose Instead, they are offered first to former military dog handlers, then to law enforcement, and finally to qualified families, who undergo a rigorous screening process. USMC & Handlers from our allies killed in Vietnam, Thailand, Their primary role was to track the enemys scent or blood trails throughout South Vietnam, so that larger American forces could reengage. It was a watershed moment but it was not without challenges. - Box cutters The water dogs proved to be quite successful in saving lives and equipment, reducing the enemys capacity to conduct underwater sabotage operations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airmen Elizabeth Figueroa) When our politicians decided to exit Vietnam in a hurry the military classified our dogs as equipment. As such, they were left behind. . For Change). treatment and serologic testing to detect Another Article From Us: The Follow-Up to Band of Brothers is Coming. I read they given to the S. Vietnamese Army or euthanized. To Present, National Most of hte handlers even offered to pay thier dog's way. While stationed in Thailand with the 56th Security Police Squadron Bob formed a steadfast relationship with his military working dog Rex. internet speed. July 05, 2016. or photos. It was a disgrace and left thousands of dog handlers in a state of depression for years to come. Learn more about featured topics of the Vietnam War and Vietnam Era. Prince lived to be 15 which makes Reeves happy. VA Volunteer and Vietnam Veteran Recalls Dog Handling Days "Anka," a female German shepherd, was paired with Airman 1st Class Edward McClouds in 1969 at Lockbourne Air Force Base, Ohio, his first duty station after sentry dog training. Unfortunately, some MWDs like to play with it and spread it every where they can. "Those that did not die were euthanized or left behind when US troops withdrew from the war. Visitors are welcome to listen and interact with SAM subject matter experts located throughout the Presidential Gallery in . Military veterinarians launched an Whether it was a sniper at 200 yards, a rocket fired into a base camp or an attack from a well-concealed bunker complex, the element of surprise was usually on the side of our enemies. The assistant director of the museum, Lori Motts-Byrd, began raising funds in order to build a memorial to the dogs and the men who worked with them. By clearing routes of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and sniffing out other explosive ordinance, they're helping to save the lives of coalition and Afghan forces. While serving as a dog handler. Reeves grew up loving dogs so he volunteered for the opportunity to be a dog handler. Click on the title to read a short history. Veterinarians, Adopting Dogs On 1 August, Capt Robert M. Sullivan and 53 air policemen, including six sentry dog/handler teams, were transferred from the 366th Air Police Squadron at Phan Rang Air Base to be the cadre for the newly activated 37th Air Police Squadron at Qui Nhon.Their first assignment was to escort 63 engineers of the 554th and 555th Civil Engineer Squadrons to Ph Ct, and then to assume . Scout dogs were trained to alert on enemy movement, booby traps, land mines, base camps, underground tunnel complexes, and underground caches of weapons, food and medical supplies. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. History, Natural This Bulldog, officially known as Chesty XV, is the Marines' official mascot. Click here to search Veterans Records and to obtain information on retrieving lost commendations. - Firearms* No handler wants to hear reverse. Whendoing detection with their MWD, if a handler hears reverse from the instructor, they know they missed the training aid and now must do the embarrassing action of backtracking. He gave them one set of greens and a pair of boots and told them we'll see how it works out. withina month we had two more sets of fatigues and another pair of boots. But with a scout dog team leading the way, most patrols were successful or uneventful. Bases in SEA & Topics of On a night in early December 1966, about 75 enemy raiders slipped past the first perimeter line at Tan Son Nhut Air Base, South Vietnam. "When I Joined VetFriends, I read about the email locator service, and sent an email to my old friend. format. Dogs have been mans partners in war for a long time. information on joining. - Diaper bags To submit stories This story was first published in the Charlotte Sun newspaper, Port Charlotte, Fla. on Sunday, November 11, 2007 and is republished with permission. To do this they need to make noises and watching them scream and grunt for the first time can be hilarious. You had to be careful not to get in an area that was being hit by one of these dragon ships or a helicopter gun ship. In Vietnam, American forces used dogs for everything from base security to detecting ambushes to hunting down fleeing enemy units. The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force will provide another unique opportunity for visitors to honor Presidents Day and the legacy of Special Air Mission (SAM) Presidential Transport aircraft through "Plane Talks" on Saturday, February 18 from 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. When King was sent home in January 1968, he had to leave Fritz behind. Geographic Story, Cold Nose-Brave Hearts Legendary War MWDs build up a lot ofmomentum when they run after the decoy. author/photographer, & VSPA a While serving as a dog handler and sentry in Montana, Bob was called to protect one of the last American bases in Southeast Asia after the withdrawal of American troops from Vietnam in 1973, known as Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Base. The middle panel contains the words, The Unbreakable Bond.. K-9 Issues Reeves has volunteered at Motts Military Museum since 2012. The 20-year-old airman was paired with a 75-pound female German shepherd named Vogie., These dogs were just like having a child. (U.S. Air Force photo). What happened to them after that? Langley was asked. King was stationed as a military policeman at Lockbourne Air Force Base (now known as Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base) in Columbus, Ohio, when a commanding officer sent him to be trained as a dog handler. I am adding Army sentry dog handlers and dogs to Richard Cunningham served as a sentry dog handler in Vietnam and later worked with the New York Police Department and as a fraud investigator. This scent or sound alert was also true of the sentry dog teams, like Smokey and me. Click here to view the War Tales fan page on FaceBook. (LogOut/ The Vietnam Dog Handler Association formed to help these veterans cope with the guilt of leaving their dogs behind. ** Two handlers and one ex handler (total of (Image courtesy of the Security Forces Museum). Then they were observed and tested to determine which area of training they would be assigned. Patrolling thick, triple-canopy jungles was dangerous by day, and even more perilous by night. I would wager that 90 percent of American combat troops killed in action during the Vietnam War never saw their killers. We talked on the phone several times in the last few years, and finally we were able to meet in El Paso, TX for a short visit. mid-1968 an epizootic occurred which threatened Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Some day, Ill be in heaven with you and we can once again walk our dogs. . He arrived in Vietnam with Prince on September 12, 1970. Photo courtesy of VSPA, Sgt. Chet Moore gets another car. Of the 294 dog handlers who were killed in Vietnam, one handlers, Staff . Security Police team with a dog on an early morning reconnaissance patrol near Phu Cat Air Base, South Vietnam, in 1967. - Coolers The memorial also includes life-sized statues of Ed Reeves and his dog, Prince. USAF 633rd SENTRY DOG Section Camp Pleiku K-9 Vietnam Patch. Many dog handlers had a difficult time returning from the war. New Zealands elite Special Air Service in Malaysia, Throughout the course of the war, 4,000 dogs served in Vietnam and Thailand, A human nose has about five million scent receptors, Dogs and their handlers went through three phases of instruction: drill/obedience, New Zealand's elite Special Air Service in Malaysia. June 26, 2012 - Bomb dogs are integral to the NATO mission in Afghanistan. Since then, no adoptable dogs are euthanized at the end of their military service. . The German shepherd dog was the only breed used for this job. Some, but not many, were transferred to the South Vietnamese military and police. I added other services because all dog handlers Stormys first master was Ron Aiello, President ofwww.uswardogs.org. Hometown: Needham, Mass. Handler tours (multiple tours are shown also) and dog assignments by base, The real story of the Vietnam War - WAR DOGS- AMERICA'S FORGOTTEN HEROES, MWD Criteria for Inclusion USAF Police Virtual Memorial. Scout / Tracker Dogs. In a decision that remains controversial to this day, the Department of Defense classified the dogs as equipment, and most were left behind transferred to the army of South Vietnam, systematically euthanized, or simply abandoned. Ehrlichia canis, was identified as the cause of (Air Force photo/Lisa Camplin) "Feed the Dawgs is a U.S. Veterans group of Vietnam era dog handlers who travel from base-to-base to provide a meal for K-9 handlers and their families," said Kenneth Neal, Vietnam Dog Handlers Association member. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This image was on the front cover of AMVET magazine showing John Langley and his dog, Vogie. Esteban Rivera, 2 July 2014 I never mind when people share this website with their family and friends. Has anyone, military personnel, found out what happened to these poor dogs. It was awful, it was a terrible thing to have happen to them, he said as he shook his head. Photo provided, After reading George Bevichs name during the official ceremony that began Thursday at The Wall, he planned to put a picture of Bevich squatting beside Rex, holding his M-16 rifle in Vietnam when he was a 22-year-old, shortly before he was killed. Story Lava When Vogies ears would go up, the fur on her back would go up, her tail would also go, I knew she had something, Langley said. When Reeves investigated the spot where he nearly stepped, he found an unexploded shell that had been rigged as a mine. During the day, they would truck C-rations and water out to us and we stayed put.. Mayaguez K-9 Memoriam This copyrighted material may not be republished without permission. - Food and Soda Drinks All visitors may be screened with a metal detector upon entry. Equipped with their sensory superpowers, the . Instructors willtell them to drop the purse so they lower the leash and assume a more relaxed hold of it. ehrlichiosis and related diseases requires: President As we navigate rapidly evolving military culture and Like any deployed troops, Russian soldiers make calls Sign up for our newsletter and receive the mighty updates! as Air Police / They knew the drills inside and out, and we did not. A1C David Shark with his sentry dog Heino at Cam Ranh Bay Air Base, South Vietnam. Nemo was whelped in October 1962. He began contacting his former dog-handler buddies and eventually formed the nucleus of a dog-handler group known today as the Vietnam Dog Handlers Association. From here, you can become an active duty dog handler.