The dog handlers and scout dogs attached to the Army's Marauder Infantry from the WWII China-Burma-India theater. Since then both King and Reeves have been able to see the records of their dogs. Pablo Gonzalez. Watch this tribute to dogs of the Vietnam War. Special Note to Post Vietnam Personnel: During the 1980s, The U.S. Army changed the MOS code structure. Home | Join VDHA | Membership Renewal | Contact Us | Member Login 2023 VDHA All Rights reserved. Its important to always remember to trust your dog because if theres anyone who is wrong, its the handler because the dog is always right. Photo provided. Bases in SEA & Topics of Dog teams form a bond so strong that a handlers attitude will affectthe dogs attitude and vice versa. Within minutes, the base was all lit up. Their final fate was either to be transferred to the South Vietnam Army or to be euthanized after each war dog unit was methodically and strategically deactivated throughout South Vietnam. At Okinawa, where I met and trained with Smokey, most of the dogs were veterans being reassigned to new handlers. Although frustrating, the visits with her new dog, Elvis, are just the beginning of her dream becoming a reality. Our US Air Force Dog Handler, K9 Unit Experience, Cam Ranh AB. Of the 4,000 dogs that served in-country, fewer than 200 made it back to the States. Credited with saving Throneburg's life, Nemo was hailed as a hero. It was during the Tet Offensive that Vogie and Langley played their biggest role. Photo courtesy of VSPA, Sgt. LAYTON, Utah --. A patrol from 1RAR makes its way through the wire on Coral's. When U.S. forces exited from Vietnam only 200 of the dogs made it back to the states. It was a watershed moment but it was not without challenges. dog's fate! Dogs were trained to alert their handlers to all kinds of hidden dangers, from snipers to trip wires and weapons caches. Though he lost an eye, Nemo survived. Nemo was whelped in October 1962. 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. K-9 Issues 71-72', Complete History of Air In 1960 the US advisers to the the South Vietnamese military recommended that a dog program be established. Clinical and experimental SOURCE: Military Working Dogs National Monument, I have searched endlessly to find out what fate the scout dogs, Vietnam War, had. I remember how we all got off the plane in Hawaii with our dogs and took them out on the ramp eventhough the government told us they had to remain on the plane. . From here, you can become an active duty dog handler. The man runs away. Through the hours of darkness, sentry dogs and their handlers patrolled along the perimeters of U.S. Air Force air bases. I was a sentry dog handler in Vietnam from 1967 to 1968, a member of the 212th Military Police Sentry Dog Company stationed in Tay Ninh. Over 1,600 + dogs are The dog was deployed to alert on the breath scent of enemy underwater divers breathing through reeds, snorkels and other underwater apparatus. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. share a common bond. Handler controls and pets the dog. Chet Moore gets another car. (Image courtesy of the Security Forces Museum). To do this they need to make noises and watching them scream and grunt for the first time can be hilarious. eighteen Security Police personnel KIA) were on the CH-53helicopter (U.S. Air Force photo). Since then, no adoptable dogs are euthanized at the end of their military service. Vietnam War Veterans who Chemical Exposure Many more followed, with the U.S. Air Force sentry force in Southeast Asia peaking in early 1967 at nearly 500 dogs. It was launched two days after a successful Viet Cong attack (July 1, 1965) on Da Nang AB Air Base. National Archives. VSPA The decision to classify the war dogs as equipment and leave them all behind (several thousand) after the war remains the saddest chapter in Americas military working dog history. At the moment of impact its important the decoy is not so stiffto allow the dogs momentum carry through. They knew the drills inside and out, and we did not. The list also specifies the dogs that were returned in So, the MOS codes which you see here are now history. The German Shepherd Dog (GSD, also known as Alsatian) was the most common service dog in the Vietnam War, used for scouting, sentry duty, mine/tunnel detection, and water patrols. Reeves has volunteered at Motts Military Museum since 2012. listed by name, brand number, and bases assigned. Dogs have been mans partners in war for a long time at least as far back as 4000 BC. Prohibited Items: He will also be one of the official readers at The Wall in Washington, D.C., afterward. I went to see the dedication at The Wall when it first opened in 82 and realized they had nothing to recognize the dog handlers who died in the war, he said. I feel really sorry for these soldiers . I dont know what all that means up there but what you might want to do is copy the link that the page is on and share it that way. Motts Military Museum in Groveport, Ohio (a suburb of Columbus, Ohio), dedicated the new Vietnam War Dog Team Memorial. I never mind when people share this website with their family and friends. On a bad day, she was in another world.. Between the years 1964 and 1973, America had deployed an estimated 4,000 war dogs and 10,000 handlers to help defend South Vietnam from invasion from North Vietnam. The vision of VVMF is to ensure a society in which all who have served and sacrificed in our nation's Armed Forces are properly honored and receive the recognition they justly deserve. 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. They were trained to sniff out mines and booby traps buried in roads, hidden on bridges or in buildings, and sniff out the location of tunnels. Here are the most common terms and what they mean. including attacks on bases, Nemo Reeves was sent home in 1971 but Prince stayed behind. K-9 sentry dogs at Phu Cat Air Base in Vietnam are trained by members of the 37th Security Police Squadron. Det. Note: Working on this list. 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 . During the ground war, Veterinarians and Vet Techs were also deployed throughout South Vietnam to help manage the diets and medial health of the war dogs. All Rights Reserved. Most were given to the military by families back home. Equipped with their sensory superpowers, the . The United States employed large numbers of and secondary sources, describes the epizootic, Dogs of the Vietnam War Dog Handlers Approximately 4,000 dogs served in the Vietnam War leading patrols with their handlers. BalanceRose Security forces members interested in becoming military working dog handlers are cross trained when they have achieved the rank of Airman 1st class, have two years in service and have obtained their five level within their career field. After completing an 8-week training course, he was assigned to Fairchild AFB, Washing, for duty with the Strategic Air Command. Redesignated 437th Security Forces Squadron July 1, 1997. . Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for USAF Security Police Sentry Dog K9 Handlers Photo Flight Line Formation 1950-60s at the best online prices at eBay! Photo provided, https://donmooreswartales.com/2015/08/10/john-langley/. Dogs could even detect enemy fighters submerged in rivers, breathing through hollow reeds and waiting to attack American watercraft. He completed K9 training at Lackland. This photo of Bevich and Rex is part of The Wall That Heals mobile exhibit. The Navy successfully used dogs on slow trolling patrol boats operating throughout the American patrolled waterways of South Vietnam. While serving as a dog handler. 71-72', list all USAF, USN, USA, Chemical Exposure! Story dogs? Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. Langley decided to do something about it. And it took less time for a Lab than a German shepherd to get used to a new handler. The handler and dog led combat patrols and provided an early silent warning of danger. Niaomi. Airman Robert A. Thorneburg was assigned as Nemo's handler in July 1966. To Sandbox Not a pleasant thought to consider given their incredible service, endurance, and devotion to duty. Bevich and a group of four other dog handlers and their dogs were on their way to Vietnam and Langley drove them to Logan Airport in Boston for the trip overseas. There was an epidemic of parvovirus that year that killed a lot of dogs in Viet Nam, and Taddy got sick. When our politicians decided to exit Vietnam in a hurry the military classified our dogs as equipment. As such, they were left behind. If the decoy is too stiff, they can jam the dog which can potentially hurt them. The VC fired 60 to 80 rounds into parked aircraft and troop billets then withdrew undetected and unabated. The Vietnam War introduced American troops to a new kind of warfare. . 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. Accept a new handler with reduced training time. Stormys first master was Ron Aiello, President ofwww.uswardogs.org. Or copy and paste this, which is the link: https://donmooreswartales.com/2015/08/10/john-langley/. "The dog, being a non-commissioned officer, or NCO, would outrank or match in rank to . I just dont get it ! This was considered the last combat action of the Vietnam war. However, as the war escalated, The United States Marine Corps entered into a service agreement with the US Army to have them train German Shepherds as scout dogs. National K9 Veterans Day, March 13, is a day set aside to honor commemorate the service and sacrifices of American military and working dogs throughout history. the identification and control of the disease, - Service animals Handlers & Security Police team with a dog on an early morning reconnaissance patrol near Phu Cat Air Base, South Vietnam, in 1967. At this time the only Air Force involvement had been supporting (with the US Army ) the Vietnamese Sentry Dog program. Your donation to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund will help expand our mission to honor, educate and heal. U.S. Marine dog handler, Corporal Michael Galloway and his Scout Dog, Stormy search a tunnel and find an enemy satchel of explosives ( Vietnam 1970). Former dog sentry handler Richard Cunningham shared a history about well-trained dogs as a new kind of warfare. Reeves has volunteered at Motts Military Museum since 2012. ehrlichiosis and related diseases requires: Over time, you will have the opportunity to advance into higher ranks. When U.S. forces exited from Vietnam only 200 of the dogs made it back to the states. It wont be like it was when he first attended the ceremony a quarter century ago with no recognition for the dog handlers. As soon as that happened, I got on my walkie-talkie and alerted the base. "Nemo", born in October 1962, entered the United States Air Force as a sentry dog in 1964, at the age of 1 years. Reeves grew up loving dogs so he volunteered for the opportunity to be a dog handler. 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. While stationed in Thailand with the 56th Security Police Squadron Bob formed a steadfast relationship with his military working dog Rex. As a result, allhandlers in the militaryuse key terms and phrases that every handler will understand. Mayaguez K-9 Memoriam Augmentee. Sgt. Yet, with the bond a dog team creates and all the training they have gone through, handlers will, at times, doubt their dogs abilities. Every dog responded to both verbal and nonverbal hand commands. He received the Silver Star for alerting the airbase a VC attack was coming. As a result, the enemy placed a price tag on the heads of the war dog teams and hunted them with extreme prejudice. 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. Among those names is Airman 2nd Class George Michael Bevich Jr., the first Air Force dog handler killed on Dec. 4, 1966, in a Viet Cong mortar attack while protecting Tan Son Nhut Air Base near Saigon with his dog, Rex. Search Page Content . A retirement ceremony for Morgen, a military working dog with more than eight years of service, was held Feb. 24 at the 88th Security Forces facility on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. (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 . - Diaper bags Less aggressive but still highly intelligent shepherd dogs went to the scout school. The dog and handler were very effective in defending aircraft, airfields, supply depots, ammunition dumps, defensive perimeters, and many other strategic military facilities throughout South Vietnam. Face-to-face with Elvis, an energetic German shepherd, U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Alyssa Stamps, a military working dog handler with the 35th Security Forces Squadron, makes a grab for the ball. Download time will be effected by your 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. WATCH THURSDAY BEGINNING AT 8 PM EASTERN AND ENJOY AMERICAN HISTORY TV EVERY WEEKEND ON C-SPAN 3. Defenders and military working dogs from the 75 th Security Forces Squadron at Hill Air Force Base gathered with the community on K-9 Veterans Day, March 13, to dedicate a Vietnam Veterans War Dog Memorial at Layton Commons Park. Military Working Dogs or Contractor Working Dogs, Photos Above: Safe Conduct Passes, Courtesy of Bruce Pritchett, Don (Jack) Kelly Korat RTAFB 'Nov And throughout training that special bond was formed between trooper and dog. Military Working Dog Ttoby, 23d Security Forces Squadron, prepares for an MWD demonstration, Feb. 2, 2017, at Moody Air Force Base, Ga. Ttoby is a Belgian Malinois and specializes in personnel protection and detecting explosives. Vice president Ernie Ayala says that it is difficult to think about how these dogs saved their lives and in return the handlers went home and left the dogs behind. When a handler asks another handler to decoy for their MWD. May Iforward it to other vets online?Thank you,Leo G. Hernandez 602-359-9628, If people are good only because they fear punishment, and hope for a reward, then we are a sorry lot indeed., From: War Tales To: leohernan@yahoo.com Sent: Sunday, August 9, 2015 10:38 PM Subject: [New post] Vietnam dog handlers recognized at The Wall Veterans Week #yiv0250566932 a:hover {color:red;}#yiv0250566932 a {text-decoration:none;color:#0088cc;}#yiv0250566932 a.yiv0250566932primaryactionlink:link, #yiv0250566932 a.yiv0250566932primaryactionlink:visited {background-color:#2585B2;color:#fff;}#yiv0250566932 a.yiv0250566932primaryactionlink:hover, #yiv0250566932 a.yiv0250566932primaryactionlink:active {background-color:#11729E;color:#fff;}#yiv0250566932 WordPress.com | Don Moore posted: At 6:06 a.m. Thursday, former Airman 1st. the working dog program and led to 250 canine Adopting of VIDEO: Remembering the Vietnam Wars Combat Dogs (National Geographic), VIDEO: Walking Point: Vietnam Scout Dogs Trailer (YouTube), VIDEO: A Breed Apart: Combat Trackers and Their Dogs in the Vietnam War (YouTube), A History of the 58th Infantry Platoon (Scout Dog), Training of War Dogs The War Office, 1962, Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund | 3033 Wilson Blvd, Suite 300 | Arlington VA 22201 | 202.393.0090 The dogs are trained at a training center on Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio. Congressman, Roscoe Bartlett of Maryland. The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test determines where a prospective service member might excel in the military. A contingent of former Vietnam dog handlers will be there standing with Langley as part of the Veterans Day services at The Wall this week. Nemo: Canine Hero Here's a typical career pathway for a military dog handler: 1. Under PROJECT TOP DOG 145, the U.S. Air Force sent 40 sentry dogs and 40 handlers to South Vietnam in the summer of 1965. share a common bond. We were all so young. The granite panels were designed and constructed by Columbus Art Memorial. When the war ended, many handlers wanted to bring their dogs home to America. (U.S. Air Force photo). that crashed during the Mayaguez rescue attempt. A human nose has about five million scent receptors; a shepherd has at least 225 million. Total: 37 12th SPS (Cam Ranh Bay & Phu Cat) Read More: 14th SPS (Nha Trang) Read More When an MWD is trained to detect specific odors it will show a change of behavior when it encounters it. When an MWDis released to bite, handlers want them to get a full mouth bite, clench tight, and hold on until the handler gets there so the suspect cant get away. Entered Service: 27 Aug. 1964 The dog understood the difference immediately and went to work. Most MWDs that defecate in their kennels will simply wait for their handler to clean it up. He arrived in Vietnam with Prince on September 12, 1970. This photo was taken at Lackland AFB, Texas, in 1970. Jiggs The name of the Marines' first Bulldog mascot, circa 1922. On March 3, 2023, at a White House ceremony, retired Army Colonel Paris Davis received the Medal of Honor. Organized January 8, 1966 at Charleston AFB, South Carolina; Redesignated 437th Security Police Squadron March 8, 1967. Langley, who also was a dog handler, went to Vietnam a year later. PRINCE 7X01 Raymond Chapman Navy Vietnam/U.S. evaluation of the disease threat in areas where CHARLES HENRY WAS A DOG HANDLER WITH THE U.S. AIR FORCE DURING THE VIETNAM WAR. Federal Benefits for dependents and survivors. Air Force Dog handlers work with their canines to train and detect explosives, or find drugs in a number of different situations. USAF 633rd SENTRY DOG Section Camp Pleiku K-9 Vietnam Patch. Security Police or as an Click here to view the War Tales fan page on FaceBook. Thailand Dog Handlers 71-72 -- DP.Kelly & Lucky, 11:14:42 10/22/02 TuePDT (209.4.252.40) I was stationed at Korat Air Base from 11/71 to 11/72 and I was in K9 school at Lackland during the summer of 71. This would be the largest battle involving sentry dogs, their . Allhandlers will learn how todecoy aka pretend to be the bad guy and its important they know how to agitate properly toprovoke the dog to bite them. A well-trained dog became an extension of his handlers senses seeing, hearing, and smelling danger that was otherwise undetectable. Exercising of K-9 sentry dogs and patrolling tactics used by the handlers of the 37th Security Police Squadron in Phu Cat Air Base, Vietnam. Vietnam. The next night, sentry dog Nemo, an 85-pound German Shepherd, detected a small enemy group that remained hidden on the base. duty military dogs, rigorous tick control, The 20-year-old airman was paired with a 75-pound female German shepherd named Vogie., These dogs were just like having a child. Photo 1 of 17. Air Force dog handlers provided a unique and critical capability in defending air bases against attack. This refers to MWDs whosespeed, strength, and bite are a cut above the rest. It was awful, it was a terrible thing to have happen to them, he said as he shook his head. "Feed the Dawgs," is a group of Vietnam era dog handlers who visit K-9 handlers and provide meals for the handlers and their families. internet speed. - Coolers AKC Museum of the Dog in St. Louis, Missouri; John Burnam, a dog handler during the Vietnam War, successfully raised funds for the Military Working Dog Teams National Monument at Lackland Air Force Base, where military dogs have been trained since 1958. Air Base Defense The memorial also includes life-sized statues of Ed Reeves and his dog, Prince. Night Beat, Cold Nose-Brave Hearts Legendary War Dogs, Handlers & Vietnam and Thailand. Natural to Vietnam & Thailand Air Force/Navy bases and some Army dogs used in The sculpture was created by Alan Cottrill, a sculptor from Zanesville, Ohio.