Soldiers' Keepers: Dogs of War
by Jaime Netzer, VFW magazine, January 2009
For almost as long as man has been waging war, dogs have stood at soldiers' sides. Whether serving as sentries, messengers or search dogs, these loyal hounds share a unique ability: they can simultaneously save troops' lives and destroy enemies.
No one can be certain what exactly happened when Chips, a mixed-breed German shepherd, husky and collie, entered a small grass-covered hut on Sicily, July 10, 1943.
At about 4:30 a.m., while working inland after the 30th Inf. Regt., 3rd Div., executed an amphibious landing near Licata on the southern coast of the Italian island, a machine gun opened fire from the hut—which was actually a camouflaged pillbox.
Suddenly, Chips broke free of his handler, Pvt. John P. Rowell, and ran into the pillbox. Moments later, the machine-gun fire stopped, and an Italian soldier appeared, Chips attacking his arms and throat. Three other soldiers followed, arms raised in surrender.
Chips suffered powder burns and a scalp wound, indicating the soldiers had attempted to shoot him with a revolver. But only the Italians taken prisoner (and Chips) know how he was able to bring about their immediate surrender all on his own.
Although Chips might be one of the most celebrated war dog heroes of U.S. military working dog history (he even has a Disney movie, Chips the War Dog, to maintain his legend), he is just one of countless canines that have served alongside GIs over the years.
War dogs have helped buttress our armed forces officially and effectively since WWII. Despite shifts in duties and breeds, dog-handler relationships—usually close, unyielding bonds—remain largely unchanged.
Patriotic Pups
Dogs have a long history as mascots—and morale boosters—in U.S. war efforts.
In WWI, a homeless dog dubbed "Stubby" was plucked from the Yale University campus in New Haven, Conn., and adopted by the 26th Infantry Division, which was training there. A white and brindle dog that looked like a pit bull and got his name from the nub of his tail, Stubby went everywhere with the men as they completed training. He was even snuck on the ship with them as they headed for France.
Stubby went on to serve in 17 battles, meet three presidents, and was decorated after the war by Gen. of the Armies John J. Pershing. However, Stubby was not a trained war dog, but a mascot, and an unofficial one at that.
It was WWII that marked the first official use of military working dogs (MWDs) in the U.S. armed forces.
The initial MWD training was limited to basic obedience. Dogs served as sentries or messengers, especially early on in the war. When troops landed in the Solomon Islands, their radio batteries couldn't withstand the heat and humidity; dogs were often the only means of communication.
In May of 1942, the U.S. Army received its first nine sentry dogs from Dogs for Defense, Inc., an organization created to volunteer dogs for the war effort. From these donated dogs the U.S. Army Canine (K-9) Corps was established.
By December of that year, more than 125,000 dogs had been volunteered for the war effort, though only about 20,000 actually entered the military. About half of those dogs were used to guard beaches, factories and bases. The rest went abroad to fight.
Many breeds were accepted at the inception of the K-9 Corps, including Belgian and German shepherds, Dalma¬tians, rottweilers, standard poodles, bull mastiffs, huskies, and even mixed breeds.
As training developed, MWDs were taught to tolerate gunfire, not to bark at any time, and to improve their ability to hear and smell the enemy. Eventually, dogs also parachuted to aid wounded fliers, conducted search and rescue missions, laid telephone wire and searched for mines.
MWDs also served in the Marine Corps in WWII, forming several war dog platoons. Most Dobermans that fought in the war served with the Marines in the Pacific.
Though the mine detection dogs (M-dogs) proved basically unreliable during WWII, later analysis revealed faulty training methods as the culprit. In subsequent conflicts, M-dogs affirmed their value. MWDs in WWII carried supplies, too—Siberian huskies could carry a tremendous amount of weight (for example, a .30-caliber machine gun).
As the war drew to a close, the Army took on an ambitious plan to return military dogs to civilian life. It recognized those war dogs that hadn't died in the line of duty by issuing a discharge certificate upon their return home. However, this process was riddled with problems and was eventually discontinued.
Since 1945, canine recruitment has meant servitude for life, and dogs have been technically classified as "equipment."
'Yankee—Take Your Dog and Go Home!'
After the war, military dog programs disappeared and scout dog platoons were disbanded. By the time the Korean War began in 1950, only one active scout dog platoon (26th Infantry Platoon, Scout Dog) existed.
The first squad to ship to Korea, comprising seven handlers and six dogs, arrived in June of 1951 and was attached to the 2nd Infantry Division.
In Korea, for the first time, dogs began participating in night patrols. Handlers were usually given 24 to 48 hours notice, allowing them time to prime the dog for the mission. Under cover of night, handlers and dogs relied on other GIs on patrol for gunfire cover. In return, the patrol was privy to the dog's keen senses and its handler's ability to read the MWD's body language.
Some 1,500 dogs served in Korea. The enemy was clearly intimidated by their presence. According to War Dogs, by Vietnam dog handler Michael G. Lemish, handlers found that in close-quarter fighting, the North Koreans or Chinese would try to kill the dogs immediately.
"Sometimes the Communists attempted to unnerve the American soldiers by setting up loudspeakers and making short propaganda broadcasts during the night," Lemish wrote. "On at least one occasion the loudspeakers blared forth, 'Yankee—take your dog and go home!' "