Author #FiveSibesMom & Her #FiveSibes
"When you live with Siberian Huskies, you always have a story to tell!"
Honoring K9 Veterans and Their Handlers on K9 Veterans Day
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Today is March 13th ~ K9 Veterans Day! A time to thank our many working dogs and their handlers—from military to police—who are now veterans. As the daughter of a WWII U.S. Army veteran, I'm honored to celebrate the work these amazing K9 soldiers do each year by writing about them and sharing important news and links.
March 13th was the date in 1942 when an experimental program of enlisting dogs into service was approved. According to the United States Army, "In January 1942, members of the American Kennel Club and other dog
lovers formed a civilian organization called Dogs for Defense. They
intended to train dogs to perform sentry duty for the army along the
coast of the United States. Aware of this effort, Lieutenant Colonel
Clifford C. Smith, chief of the Plant Protection Branch, Inspection
Division, Quartermaster Corps, met with his commander, Major General
Edmund B. Gregory, and suggested that the Army use the sentry dogs at
supply depots. Gregory gave his approval to an experimental program, and
on March 13, 1942, Under Secretary of War Robert P. Patterson approved
Gregory's application and created the K-9 Corps." Today, 81 years later, we all know the amazing work our Military Working Dogs have performed/do perform under the care and direction of their handlers, and are so very thankful to them.
*Siberian Huskies and their cousin the Malamutes, were among the working breeds who served as war dogs during World War II?
* The War Dog Ambassador was a Siberian Husky named "Buck?"
* Siberian Huskies make wonderful Therapy Dogs?
"BUCK" THE WAR DOGS AMBASSADOR ~ DOD MARCH 23, 2006
Photo courtesy of WarDogWall.com
"CHIPS" A WWII MILITARY WORKING DOG
Photo by Herson Whitley. Permission Courtesy of Mary Ann Whitley.
It was my sincere pleasure to connect to Herson Whitley's daughter,
Mary Ann, who gave me permission to use her father's photo above of Chips, a
Husky/German Shepherd/Collie mix, who was the first dog to ship overseas as a
Military Working Dog in WWII. He belonged to the Wren Family from
Pleasantville, NY. When WWII broke out, U.S. families volunteered their pet
dogs into the service as part of the K-9 Corps. Overseas, Chips trained as a
sentry dog and assigned to a Military Police platoon and traveled throughout
Europe, and saw fighting in Africa and Sicily. While he served on many
missions, he is best known for when he attacked enemy troops who were in a
pillbox shelter in Sicily, and even though he was wounded himself, he rushed
into the shelter and bravely fought by biting the enemy troops, until they
surrendered. Chips even met General Eisenhower!
If you'd like to learn more about Buck and the War Dogs, see if you can pick up a copy of the beautiful book, Buck's Heroes. Sadly, the website is no longer active, but if you can find a copy, get it! I'm so thankful I was able to purchase one years ago and have on our bookshelves here at the FiveSibes™ homestead. It
is a fitting book to read, especially on this K9 Veterans Day.
"When
Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7, 1941,the United States
inventory of military working dogs consisted of only 90 Siberian Huskies
and Malamutes. These dogs were used as pack and sled dogs for rescue
in areas of the world where motorized equipment could not go."
~Our War Dogs, Buck's Heroes
The U.S. War Dogs Association is taking donations of much-needed items for our canine heroes working abroad. Please click HERE to see what is needed for care packages and where to send them, and be sure to mention the FiveSibes sent you over!
In the past, my Epi-dog (now furangel) Gibson poses with the box of donations collected by
The Empire State Snow Dog Club, of which I'm a proud member, and in
front of the official U.S. War Dog Association poster!
K9
Veterans is being officially recognized by more and more states in the
U.S. Talk to your state representative to have your state recognize this
holiday. There is a petition to make K9 Veterans Day a national holiday
and honor these brave canine service dogs. To sign the petition, please
visit HERE.
Patriot
K9 Rescue is located in Central Pennsylvania and they are a nonprofit organization "that raises funds to care for
retired Military Working Dogs, Contract Working Dogs and Retired Police
K9's." Patriot K9 Rescue also helps "to transport, care
for, and provide a comfortable, loving environment for these unsung
heroes, while they await their forever homes. We provide them with
veterinary care and a stable environment for them to decompress and
adapt to civilian life. These dogs have been through a lot and it takes
some time for them to acclimate and become suitable for adoption."
Click HERE to view some beautiful adoptable retired Hero Dogs.
On A Personal Note: As many of you know, I not only love writing, love dogs and horses, and love history, I'm also the proud daughter of a WWII hero. I love to share this photo of my Dad with two dogs he befriended on base. I'd like to send a special "Thank You" heavenward to
my Dad. He was a TSGT and Silver Star recipient having served on the front lines with the U.S. Army's "Big Red One" First Division,
and then his second tour with the Rainbow Division, 16th Infantry during
World War II.
My dad with two of his K9 friends on base.
If you'd like to read more about this special holiday, see my last
year's article published in 4Knines on our United States canine
veterans, and if you follow me, I was so honored to received the Dog
Writers Association of America's special Brick American Legion Post 348
Captain William Judy Lewis Award for my article. You can click on the
image below to read it, which covers the history of this
holiday.
Thank You to all the K9 Veterans and Their Handlers.
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