air force dog handlers in vietnam air force dog handlers in vietnam

Marine dog handler Steve Reichenbach with his dog, Major, on a patrol north of Danang in late 1966. . Then they were observed and tested to determine which area of training they would be assigned. He talks about serving with his K-9, Jake, and the roles of military working dogs in-country. But our forces did have one elite weapon that sometimes took the advantage away. Click here for frequently asked questions regarding items permitted inside the museum. Photo courtesy of Captain Humberto "Bert" Garcia Flight Med. infected animals brought the epizootic under Parade Float, History WWI & Handlers reward their dogs so much that they call themselves nothing but a kong dispenser. He received the Silver Star for alerting the airbase a VC attack was coming. BalanceRose But there have been false reports that military dogs were sometimes left. 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. Their primary role was to track the enemys scent or blood trails throughout South Vietnam, so that larger American forces could reengage. Discharged: 26 Aug. 1968 Photo 1 of 17. From here, you can become an active duty dog handler. Approximately 350 dogs were killed in action, many more were wounded, and 263 handlers were killed. Mayaguez K-9 Memoriam I was 20 years old and weighed 135 pounds; Smokey weighed 90 pounds. Thank You. internet speed. duty military dogs, rigorous tick control, and the Sandbox. As a result, all handlers in the military use key terms and phrases that every handler will understand. The handler and dog led combat patrols and provided an early silent warning of danger. The Ron England Follies. Congressman, Roscoe Bartlett of Maryland. It was a watershed moment but it was not without challenges. Scout / Tracker Dogs. I belong to an organization today that honors the Viet Nam dog handlers. A human nose has about five million scent receptors; a shepherd has at least 225 million. 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. Click on the title to read a short history. served with BUD/S Class 13, UDT 21, UDT 22, SEAL Team Two with three tours in Vietnam. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. A scout dog team was deployed as pointman which is the most vulnerable and dangerous position of a tactical formation moving through enemy territory. Dog teams were placed on the perimeter in front of machine gun towers/bunkers. Most were given to the military by families back home. Though there was. Redesignated 437th Security Forces Squadron July 1, 1997. August is National Dog Month in the United States, so in this episode we salute the four-legged warriors who helped us fight the war in Vietnam, saving an estimated 10,000 American lives. 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. All visitors may be screened with a metal detector upon entry. Photo Above Courtesy of Nemo's War Dog Heroes Memorial. Currently: Venice, Fla. Air Force dog handlers provided a unique and critical capability in defending air bases against attack. Dogs and their handlers went through three phases of instruction: drill/obedience, aggression, and scouting. USAF 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. On March 3, 2023, at a White House ceremony, retired Army Colonel Paris Davis received the Medal of Honor. This Bulldog, officially known as Chesty XV, is the Marines' official mascot. Here's a typical career pathway for a military dog handler: 1. 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. and secondary sources, describes the epizootic, My companion was a German shepherd named Smokey. Their keen senses, learning ability, endurance & devotion have made them invaluable companions. Please feel Cam Rahn Bay Vietnam To do this they need to make noises and watching them scream and grunt for the first time can be hilarious. Fortunately he had also become a member and responded to my email. MWDs build up a lot ofmomentum when they run after the decoy. The Vietnam Dog Handler Association formed to help these veterans cope with the guilt of leaving their dogs behind. He arrived in Vietnam with Prince on September 12, 1970. Canine ehrlichiosis, a Credited with saving Throneburg's life, Nemo was hailed as a hero. What did the S. Vietnamese Army do to the dogs, eat them? Then on February 14, 1971, Prince stopped Reeves as he was about to step over a fallen tree. This unfitting end motivated Vietnam dog handlers to act. MWDs areincredibly strong and athletic andso when the situation calls for a handler to maintain tightcontrol of their dog, they will apply a short safety. All handlers use a 6-foot leash and, with the dog on their left, they will hold the end of the leash in their right hand while using their left hand to grab the leash halfway down and wrap it once around their hand to ensure the dog stays close. When Reeves investigated the spot where he nearly stepped, he found an unexploded shell that had been rigged as a mine. Your donation to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund will help expand our mission to honor, educate and heal. To Sandbox Second line sentry dog teams detected the enemy force, and Security Police killed or captured several of them. Roughly 4,000 dogs served in Vietnam, leading patrols through the dense jungle terrain. Not every unit on patrol got a dog; there werent enough to go around, and in those cases, a Soldier would have to walk point alone. The handler trusted the dog with his life, and the dog was absolutely loyal, even to the death. Click here for frequently asked questions regarding items permitted inside the museum. is an association for USAF Bob Dunn handled military working dogs in the U.S. Army and served with the 212th Military Police Company (Sentry Dog). Most MWDs that defecate in their kennels will simply wait for their handler to clean it up. A human nose has about five million scent receptors; a shepherd has at least 225 million. 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. Every dog accepted was highly intelligent, and each became a canine soldier, with his or her own individual four-digit service number tattooed in the left ear. The next several days we spent out in the bush hiding out and staying out of the clutches of the VC. As a result, the enemy placed a price tag on the heads of the war dog teams and hunted them with extreme prejudice. All of us talked about dying in Viet Nam but I dont think any of us thought one of us would. 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. Entered Service: 27 Aug. 1964 Pablo Gonzalez. . I would wager that 90 percent of American combat troops killed in action during the Vietnam War never saw their killers. The typical responsefrom a handler whose dog was jammed is to ask the decoy if they want peanut butter. Due to the nature and escalation of the war, in 1965 the Army decided to reactivate its scout dog program. Everything for our dogs. The German shepherd dog and handler were generally deployed with the infantry and combat engineer units. * Firearms, to include conceal carry and other dangerous weapons, are specifically prohibited in Federal facilities in accordance with 18 USC 930 (c) credit line. Security Police dog handlers serving in Viet Nam and Thailand during Viiet Nam war. In Vietnam, American forces used dogs for everything from base security to detecting ambushes to hunting down fleeing enemy units. Your email address will not be published. It was awful, it was a terrible thing to have happen to them, he said as he shook his head. Security Police or as an PRINCE 847F Air Force Vietnam/14th SPS UNK. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. served in the U.S. Air Force as an Airman 1st Class with the 56th Security Police Squadron in Thailand from 1971-1972. Class John Langley of Venice stood in front of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C., and read 30 servicemens names who appear on the memorial together with more than 58,000 others inscribed there forever. | |, Leo Before this Veterans Day, today, the 25th anniversary of the unveiling of the Vietnam Wall, Langley will make a pilgrimage. References In March, the Air Force sent two instructors, along with ten sentry dogs to assist the Vietnamese air force to establish better base security. This remembrance was left on his Wall of Faces by a comrade, Fred Cobb. considered the last combat action of the Vietnam war. We used German shepherds like Smokey, mixes of shepherd types, and Labrador retrievers that were well trained in detecting, attacking, and tracking the enemy. His handler, Airman 1st Class Robert Throneburg, released him to attack. Whats more, all our dogs had lived with our American smells for years. 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. including attacks on bases, Nemo The toy used as a universal reward for all military working dogs is the kong. Night Beat, Cold Nose-Brave Hearts Legendary War Dogs, Handlers & Unit:377th Security Police Military Working Dogs or Contractor Working Dogs, Photos Above: Safe Conduct Passes, Courtesy of Bruce Pritchett, Don (Jack) Kelly Korat RTAFB 'Nov Navy K-9 Sentry Dogs UNK. Dogs have been mans partners in war for a long time. Dogs of the Vietnam War Dog Handlers Approximately 4,000 dogs served in the Vietnam War leading patrols with their handlers. that crashed during the Mayaguez rescue attempt. 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. He received the Silver Star for alerting the airbase a VC attack was coming. SOURCE: Military Working Dogs National Monument, I have searched endlessly to find out what fate the scout dogs, Vietnam War, had. 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. 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. This was He completed K9 training at Lackland. be successfully treated with tetracycline; this PRINCE 986A GS Gary Mather/ Edward L. Reeves (70 . But a trained dog could detect the trap, and it would be neutralized. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Just give the Army Military Working Dog Handlers (MOS 31K) are responsible for training and caring for their service dog. He and his shepherd were stationed 3 miles from the fence surrounding the airbase along a path surrounded by jungle. format. additional veterinary research. It was Langleys and Vogies duty to hide out in the underbrush and sit quietly from 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. the next morning watching, listening and staying out of sight. Deadly Disease for Military Working Dogs in SEA Esteban Rivera, 2 July 2014 Tan Son Nhut Air Base on December 4, one air force handler and three sentry dogs were killed during a VC penetration. George, I remember you today as well as I did when I met you at Lackland AFB, Tx when we were on our way to Viet Nam. (South East-Asia). The Great Pademic of Rapid City, 2020. They have proven themselves to be the best at what they do. Total: 37 12th SPS (Cam Ranh Bay & Phu Cat) Read More: 14th SPS (Nha Trang) Read More He was one of the perimeter guards protecting the airbase from intruders. When King was sent home in January 1968, he had to leave Fritz behind. Due in large part to their collective efforts, Robbys Law was passed by the U.S. Congress in 2000. The first class that included women was held in early 1975. This Page is for our Air Force's Dog Handler,K9 Unit; experiences before and during our time at Cam Ranh AB, Vietnam. They protected our soldiers on patrol from the many and diverse devices set to kill and maim. We were all so young. When our politicians decided to exit Vietnam in a hurry the military classified our dogs as equipment. As such, they were left behind. ** Two handlers and one ex handler (total of eighteen Security Police personnel KIA) were on the CH-53 helicopter that crashed during the Mayaguez rescue attempt. Base Defense of Vietnam - Thailand, Det. PRINCE 7X01 Raymond Chapman Navy Vietnam/U.S. In addition all bags are subject to search and may be placed through an X-Ray machine. as Air Police / The retirement was followed by his adoption by former handler Staff Sgt. Required fields are marked *. 1953 - Some of the first K-9 to be used in the Korean war. Hear him talk about his service, from parachuting with Prince, to lying on ambush in Vietnam with Prince. Visit the main pages for It was during the Tet Offensive that Vogie and Langley played their biggest role. When U.S. forces exited from Vietnam only 200 of the dogs made it back to the states. USMC & Handlers from our allies killed in Vietnam, Thailand, There are over 1300 working Dog handler teams worldwide, and the . Tragically, after the Vietnam War, military dogs were left behind and not brought home with their handlers. Home | Join VDHA | Membership Renewal | Contact Us | Member Login 2023 VDHA All Rights reserved. Name: John Francis Langley These dogs are credited with saving more than 10,000 lives. Visitors are welcome to listen and interact with SAM subject matter experts located throughout the Presidential Gallery in . He says that if it wasnt for Prince on those two days, his name would be on the monument. Hear him talk about the training and duties of sentry dogs, and about working with Duke to secure one of the largest ammunition dumps in the world at Long Binh. 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. A three-man squad in a Jeep with a mounted M-60 machine gun would arrive within five minutes and check out the area looking for Viet Cong infiltrators. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Becoming a dog handler in the Army requires a few crucial steps. Open9 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week. In the Vietnam War about 350 dogs were killed in action and 263 handlers were killed. The scent of the Vietnamese was very different and much easier for them to pick up and alert on. When they finished their tours of duty, their dogs remained behind to work with other handlers. Dogs could even detect enemy fighters submerged in rivers, breathing through hollow reeds and waiting to attack American watercraft. Obtain a paver around either the Airman's Museum or Military Working Dog Memorial at Lackland. Photo courtesy of VSPA, Sgt. Pixie and Brutus. Note: Working on this list, USAF (LogOut/ The dogs started out at Lackland Air Force Base in . Website Last Updated: the identification and control of the disease, In 1960 the US advisers to the the South Vietnamese military recommended that a dog program be established. Most dog handlers start their careers as E-3s (Private First Class) to E-5s (Sergeant) depending on the service," emails Air Force Maj. Matthew Kowalski, Commander in the 341st Training Squadron, which provides training to military working dogs in San Antonio. The Vietnamese military never had an effective dog program. Ian Harvey is one of the authors writing for WAR HISTORY ONLINE, The Follow-Up to Band of Brothers is Coming. Copyright 2003-2021. Many of the Vietnamese handlers were Buddhist and did not develop a relationship with their assigned dogs. Free shipping for many products! Dog Handler Bob Curnick was a dog handler who served in the Air Force from 1972-1976. Prohibited Items: share a common bond. 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. Handlers must get to know their dogs change of behavior so they know their MWD is about to find something. (U.S. Air Force photo). (U.S. Air Force photo). The dog was deployed to alert on the breath scent of enemy underwater divers breathing through reeds, snorkels and other underwater apparatus. Adopting of Please note the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force is not responsible for items left in vehicles. Also Read: 5 Fake Enemies US Troops Have Been Battling For Decades. Fritz trained with King as a sentry dog dogs that generally were not used in combat, but to guard perimeters of bases. The dog handlers and scout dogs attached to the Army's Marauder Infantry from the WWII China-Burma-India theater. The only thing that would make him happier is if he could have brought Prince home himself. Class John Langley of Venice stood in front of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C., and read 30 servicemens names who appear on the memorial together with more than 58,000 others inscribed there forever. I know I felt it with Smokey. The Labrador retriever dog was the only breed trained for tracking. 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. 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. Expertly trained by New Zealands elite Special Air Service in Malaysia, their dogs were initially provided by the British military. . The memorial also includes life-sized statues of Ed Reeves and his dog, Prince. Sometimes, a not at source or pinpoint is added when the instructor notices the dog is on the odor but hasnt found the training aid yet. 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. 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. Former dog sentry handler Richard Cunningham shared a history about well-trained dogs as a new kind of warfare.