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. 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! The All Rights Reserrved. Most were given to the military by families back home. 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. and the Sandbox. It was during the Tet Offensive that Vogie and Langley played their biggest role. 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. Home | Join VDHA | Membership Renewal | Contact Us | Member Login 2023 VDHA All Rights reserved. Click here to view the collection in the Library of Congress. Their primary role was to track the enemys scent or blood trails throughout South Vietnam, so that larger American forces could reengage. After 11 months and 27 days as an Air Force dog handler in Vietnam, Langley and Vogie parted company. 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. I belong to an organization today that honors the Viet Nam dog handlers. as Air Police / trackers, and mine detectors in Vietnam. John Worsham has his Bronze Star replaced. Mabins also has the distinction of being the first African American female dog handler in the Air Force. 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. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airmen Elizabeth Figueroa) . concluded that the future control of canine Individuals are permitted to take their own photographs or videos while touring the museum. (LogOut/ Dogs, from Elks magazine Courtesy of Don (Jack) Kelly Korat RTAFB 'Nov The next several days we spent out in the bush hiding out and staying out of the clutches of the VC. I was 20 years old and weighed 135 pounds; Smokey weighed 90 pounds. Pablo Gonzalez. We knew that, unlike other soldiers, we at least had our dog with us so we would never be alone. This copyrighted material may not be republished without permission. The memorial also includes life-sized statues of Ed Reeves and his dog, Prince. In the Vietnam War about 350 dogs were killed in action and 263 handlers were killed. Bill was the first SEAL to handle Dogs in SEAL Team. You are a member of that organization and your name is on our honor roll. Dogs have been mans partners in war for a long time at least as far back as 4000 BC. You will never be forgotten. But with a scout dog team leading the way, most patrols were successful or uneventful. And it took less time for a Lab than a German shepherd to get used to a new handler. The dogs started out at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas with a thorough physical exam. - Service animals Claims! 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. Free shipping for many products! I laugh at some of the things we all did. These teams didnt wait to be ambushed. Includes sound bites from Staff Sgt Tim Castillo and Staff Sgt Witney Young, U.S. Air Force 455th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron. Download time will be effected by your All of us talked about dying in Viet Nam but I dont think any of us thought one of us would. If they heard or saw something, they notified the base by walkie-talkie. The dogs were given to the ARVN, and were used in combat. Ehrlichia canis, was identified as the cause of When U.S. forces exited from Vietnam only 200 of the dogs made it back to the states. Killed in Action, Clark Air Base, RP, January 6, 1978. It is unnatural, theres no reason for it, and typically its a sign of the handler not being relaxed. 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. Fort The South Vietnam fell to North Vietnam in 1975, which officially ended the war. According to Dogs in History, only about 200 of the more than 4,000 dogs who served in Vietnam made it out. It consists of three black granite panels which are made of granite from the same area of India that provided the granite for the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. On the panels are inscribed the names of 4,244 dogs that served during the war and 297 names of the dog handlers plus one veterinarian and two vet technicians who died in Vietnam. Our US Air Force Dog Handler, K9 Unit Experience, Cam Ranh AB. Interest They protected our soldiers on patrol from the many and diverse devices set to kill and maim. Old Dawgs Supporting Young Pups, Bulletin Boards: Throneburg, who was still in the hospital, seeing Nemo for the first time after the attack. Tan Son Nhut Air Base on December 4, one air force handler and three sentry dogs were killed during a VC penetration. internet speed. To submit stories Cam Rahn Bay Vietnam 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. Navy K-9 Sentry Dogs UNK. He was one of the perimeter guards protecting the airbase from intruders. He met Bevich in 1966 before both of them shipped out. The sculpture was created by Alan Cottrill, a sculptor from Zanesville, Ohio. mid-1968 an epizootic occurred which threatened For example, you can join the Army K9 unit. 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. I know you have a son and I know that he had to be very proud of you. This photo was taken at Lackland AFB, Texas, in 1970. RAF Military Working Dogs play a vital role supporting RAF Police Handlers to protect people and fight crime. Required fields are marked *. Security Police or as an The 22-year-old received the Silver Star, for sounding the initial alarm that an enemy attack was under way, and the Purple Heart, both posthumously. Some day, Ill be in heaven with you and we can once again walk our dogs. 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! The monument which honors U.S. military dogs that didn't return after serving in war is located . Photo 1 of 17. Handlers & The typical responsefrom a handler whose dog was jammed is to ask the decoy if they want peanut butter. Since then both King and Reeves have been able to see the records of their dogs. View military histories of over 2 million, If you are a veteran, reconnect with people. Military working dogs are the worlds most-highly trained dogs and must be controlled or in a controlled environment at all times for everyones safety. It was on March 13, 1942, that the . WWII, U-T FREEAdmission & Parking. The Labradors, with their amazing noses, went straight to tracker training. When Reeves investigated the spot where he nearly stepped, he found an unexploded shell that had been rigged as a mine. Reeves attended the dedication of the new memorial. Lava 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. He researched what became of his dog, Prince, and published the results in a book he self-published in 2016. "Nemo", born in October 1962, entered the United States Air Force as a sentry dog in 1964, at the age of 1 years. What did the S. Vietnamese Army do to the dogs, eat them? The success of the war dogs and handlers walking point, tracking, guarding, patrolling, and protecting American lives and military assets, ultimately reduced the enemys capacity for surprise attacks. A dog handler witht he combat tracker team from the 4th Inf. - Food and Soda Drinks When anMWD has escaped a controlled environment, handlers will yell LOOSE DOG! to alert everyone in the area. 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. Your be successfully treated with tetracycline; this When an MWD is trained to detect specific odors it will show a change of behavior when it encounters it. the epizootic. credit line. Patrolling thick, triple-canopy jungles was dangerous by day, and even more perilous by night. I am adding Army sentry dog handlers and dogs to Air Force dog handlers provided a unique and critical capability in defending air bases against attack. Prince worked in San Diego sniffing for drugs at the border. He was procured by the Air Force when he was one and a half years old. Thailand from 1960-1975, - Box cutters Nemo returned to Lackland in July 1967 as a part of an Air Force dog recruitment team. The water dogs proved to be quite successful in saving lives and equipment, reducing the enemys capacity to conduct underwater sabotage operations. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. highly fatal tickborne rickettsiosis caused by To conduct a proper detection search, all handlers are taught the inverted V method in which the dog detects low, then high, then low again. Dogs could even detect enemy fighters submerged in rivers, breathing through hollow reeds and waiting to attack American watercraft. Marine dog handler Steve Reichenbach with his dog, Major, on a patrol north of Danang in late 1966. . Air Force Photo. When a dog team arrived at its post usually just a path around a camp, ammo dump, or airfield it performed a changeover. The handler changed the dogs choke-chain collar to his leather now its time to work collar. 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. They loved to work purely for the approval and praise of their handler and partner. He and his shepherd were stationed 3 miles from the fence surrounding the airbase along a path surrounded by jungle. 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. Geographic Story, Cold Nose-Brave Hearts Legendary War Chemical Exposure Forty dog teams were deployed to Vietnam for a four month test period. Within a few years, several hundred dogs had been turned over to the Vietnamese military. Entered Service: 27 Aug. 1964 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 . stories/photos "When I Joined VetFriends, I read about the email locator service, and sent an email to my old friend. Please feel 1953 - Some of the first K-9 to be used in the Korean war. Dogs of SEA Worksheet list all known dogs assigned Approximately 4,000 dogs served in the Vietnam War leading patrols with their handlers. 71-72', Complete History of Air Within minutes, the base was all lit up. The man runs away. - Coolers duty military dogs, rigorous tick control, The mission of the 341st Training Squadron is to provide trained military working dogs and handlers for the Department of Defense, other government agencies and allies through training, logistical, veterinary support and research and development for security efforts worldwide. After the dog located the tunnel, a soldier (Tunnel Rat) would enter the tunnel to investigate. Copyright 2003-2021. His story is remarkable and should be shared. Through the hours of darkness, sentry dogs and their handlers patrolled along the perimeters of U.S. Air Force air bases. All rights reserved. The U.S. Army had the highest number of infantry scout dog teams deployed throughout South Vietnam and consequently suffered the highest number of casualties, dogs and handlers, of the war. If the decoy is too stiff, they can jam the dog which can potentially hurt them. Hometown: Needham, Mass. The United States employed large numbers of listed by name, brand number, and bases assigned. A1C David Shark with his sentry dog Heino at Cam Ranh Bay Air Base, South Vietnam. Hear him talk about his service, from parachuting with Prince, to lying on ambush in Vietnam with Prince. The tracker dog teams were very effective and relied on heavily. Unfortunately, some MWDs like to play with it and spread it every where they can. In late March 1967, Langley arrived at Tan Son Nhut Air Base and became a member of the 377th Security Police (K9). I read they given to the S. Vietnamese Army or euthanized. Hereare the most common terms and what they mean. Air Base Defense Canine ehrlichiosis, a 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. 71-72', list all USAF, USN, USA, On Jan. 30, 1968, all hell broke lose. Second line sentry dog teams detected the enemy force, and Security Police killed or captured several of them. Many dog handlers had a difficult time returning from the war. Handlers attend a three-month training program at Joint Base SA-Lackland to learn dog-handling procedures. During the initial phases of the Vietnam War, German Shepherds were used mainly on Air Force installations as sentry dogs. Handlers must get to know their dogs change of behavior so they know their MWD is about to find something. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The two were trained to scout which meant they would go on patrols and search for people, mines and booby traps. 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. 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. But our forces did have one elite weapon that sometimes took the advantage away. 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. dog's fate! Only around 200 made it home to retire in peacetime. Dogs to be used as scouts were trained at Fort Benning, Georgia, learning to detect tripwires, weapons caches, and other items. As soon as that happened, I got on my walkie-talkie and alerted the base. Organized January 8, 1966 at Charleston AFB, South Carolina; Redesignated 437th Security Police Squadron March 8, 1967. He was killed in a Viet Cong mortar attack in December 1966. King learned that Fritz was euthanized after the war. Story MWD Criteria for Inclusion USAF Police Virtual Memorial, When they started school,they only had blues and low quarters and were cleaning kennels withwet shoes and one set of blues. There are over 1300 working Dog handler teams worldwide, and the . At 6:06 a.m. Thursday, former Airman 1st. All Rights Reserved. Deadly Disease for Military Working Dogs in SEA Dogs who become certified as military working dogs have gone through an extensive selection and training process. A human nose has about five million scent receptors; a shepherd has at least 225 million. 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. Yet, with the bond a dog team creates and all the training they have gone through, handlers will, at times, doubt their dogs abilities. An estimated 4,000 dogs and 9,000 military-dog handlers served in Vietnam. 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. Watch this tribute to dogs of the Vietnam War. - Strollers The retirement was followed by his adoption by former handler Staff Sgt. Smokey and I typically worked at night, 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., but we would also conduct daylight area sweeps when temporarily attached to infantry units. I, for one, think thats an understatement.. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Due in large part to their collective efforts, Robbys Law was passed by the U.S. Congress in 2000. Faced with the very real threat posed by Viet Cong sappers infiltrating USAF bases in Vietnam and sabotaging multi-million dollar aircraft with grenades and satchel charges, the Air Force's. Nemo's Complete Lists of 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. 113 likes. Det. was a dog handler who served in the Air Force from 1972-1976. A Marine dog handler I knew finished his 13-month tour of duty in 1969 and was told his dog, Taddy, was being transferred to the ARVN. National Archives. 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 arrived in Vietnam with Prince on September 12, 1970. Special Note to Post Vietnam Personnel: During the 1980s, The U.S. Army changed the MOS code structure. The handler and dog led combat patrols and provided an early silent warning of danger. Redesignated 437th Security Forces Squadron July 1, 1997. These are MWDs who are so well trained overall, especially in obedience, that they will rarelyneed acorrection, if any. When he went home, he stayed in contact with Taddys ARVN handler. While stationed in Thailand with the 56th Security Police Squadron Bob formed a steadfast relationship with his military working dog Rex. 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. considered the last combat action of the Vietnam war. Note: Working on this list. Vietnam War Veterans who additional veterinary research. 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. They knew the drills inside and out, and we did not. At this time the only Air Force involvement had been supporting (with the US Army ) the Vietnamese Sentry Dog program. . VDHA Officers; Unit Directors; Events . And throughout training that special bond was formed between trooper and dog. At the moment of impact its important the decoy is not so stiffto allow the dogs momentum carry through. The dogs sense of smell and hearing saved a lot of American lives. LAYTON, Utah --. The German shepherd dog and handler were generally deployed with the infantry and combat engineer units. Free Computer Backgrounds, Submit 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. 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.
air force dog handlers in vietnam