Pfc. Hammer Finds a Home (meow!)

DoD-AFPS ^ | April 24, 2004 | Linda D. Kozaryn

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Pfc. Hammer Finds a Home

By Linda D. Kozaryn
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, April 24, 2004 – A tiger-striped Iraqi kitten that wiggled its way into the hearts of a U.S. Army unit has made its way to the United States, thanks to a host of volunteers and two animal welfare groups.

Pfc. Hammer, an Iraq-born cat that befriended soldiers of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, during their deployment in Iraq, arrives in San Francisco, Calif., enroute to his new home in Colorado. Courtesy photo

Soldiers with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, dubbed the tiny ball of fur that wandered into their tent early last fall "Pfc. Hammer."

"He was born at the site," said Staff Sgt. Rick Bousfield. "There were two other kittens in the litter, but they ran away. He stayed and kept mice out of our living quarters and out of our dining facility."

Adopted by the troops, the young cat provided warmth and companionship in an otherwise hostile environment. When the unit was attacked by mortar fire, Hammer ran to the bunkers, where the nearest soldier scooped him inside his body armor to wait out the attack.

"He was like our stress therapist over there," Bousfield recalled. "You'd come in off raids where we'd been kicking in doors and guys would be sitting outside by themselves. He'd come over and take their minds off the war."

When Bousfield learned the unit was leaving Iraq to return to Fort Carson, Colo., he sent an e-mail asking for help to Alley Cat Allies, a national nonprofit clearinghouse for information on feral and stray cats, in Washington, D.C. The sergeant said he wanted to ensure his whole unit came home together, and that included Pfc. Hammer.

Hammer "has been quite a morale booster for us, because we consider him one of our troops," Bousfield wrote. "If there was a way that ACA could help get Hammer back to the States, it would be a wonderful boost for the men to see the cat who has won their hearts free – like the Iraqi people."

Bousfield's plea "brought the war home for us," said ACA national director Becky Robinson. "This was a soldier in Iraq writing us. How could we say no to a soldier in Iraq fighting for freedom?"

"His e-mail was so moving we felt like we couldn't say no," she said. "We had never done anything like this, but the moment we finished reading it, it was a given that we were going to figure out how to do this."

Hundreds of people sent e-mails and made donations to help get the cat to the States after ACA posted Hammer's plight on on the organization's web site, said Lynne Cummings, ACA director of gift planning.

"Alley Cat Allies doesn't usually get asked to do things in wartime," she said. "It was a really nice thing for us to be able to do to show our support to Rick and his unit. We didn't really care if we raised any money to help defray the costs."

ACA joined forces with Military Mascots, a grassroots all-volunteer effort dedicated to helping U.S. deployed service members who have befriended a canine mascot on foreign soil. Supporters' donations, combined with money from ACA's Compassion Fund, paid for Hammer's medical and travel expenses, Cummings said.

Working with a veterinary hospital in Kuwait, they arranged an international flight for Hammer. Prior to leaving the region, the cat was neutered and given a clean bill of health.

Bousfield returned from Iraq in early April. It took a week or so longer for Pfc. Hammer.

An ACA volunteer met up with Hammer when he arrived in San Francisco and accompanied the cat on a domestic flight to his new home outside of Denver. Bousfield and his daughter Tiffany, 15, along with another company member, Sgt. Robert Scott, were waiting for Hammer when he arrived at Denver International Airport.

The ACA volunteer who accompanied the cat said he started purring and kneading her arm as soon as he heard Bousfield's voice. The wartime bond formed thousands of miles away had not been forgotten.

Back at Fort Carson, Bousfield reunited Hammer with his former cohorts. "We all met at the same time to sign out on block leave so I took him in on his leash," Bousfield said. "They were happy to see him."

Hammer now lives with Bousfield's family – and five other cats. Bousfield said they all get along now that they've gotten "the pecking order straight."

"We kept him in a room by himself for a week," he said. "Little by little we let him out. He roams around all he wants to now. He runs around. He's fast. The vet says he's an Egyptian Mau."

Related Sites:
1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment
Fort Carson, Colo.
4th Infantry Division
Alley Cat Allies
Military Mascots

	Staff Sgt. Rick Bousfield and his daughter Tiffany, greet Pfc. Hammer at Denver International Airport. Bousfield sought help from Alley Cat Allies in Washington, D.C., to get the Iraq-born cat to the United States. Courtesy photo
	Staff Sgt. Rick Bousfield holds Pfc. Hammer, the Iraq-born cat that joined his infantry company during their deployment in Iraq. Courtesy photo

(click pics)

 

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

 A tiger-striped Iraqi kitten that wiggled its way into the hearts of a U.S. Army unit has made its way to the United States, thanks to a host of volunteers and two animal welfare groups.

Soldiers with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, dubbed the tiny ball of fur that wandered into their tent early last fall "Pfc. Hammer."

Adopted by the troops, the young cat provided warmth and companionship in an otherwise hostile environment. When the unit was attacked by mortar fire, Hammer ran to the bunkers, where the nearest soldier scooped him inside his body armor to wait out the attack.

"You'd come in off raids where we'd been kicking in doors and guys would be sitting outside by themselves. He'd come over and take their minds off the war."

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                 ^  ~ ^
              ~ .  ~
Warm  and fuzzy, ping!

 

[LoudRepublicangirl]

These kind of stories make me feel so good. I am glad that Pfc Hammer got to come to the U.S. and have a decent life here.

[SandRat]

Here's hoping that Staff Sgt. Rick Bousfield is a Freeper and that we'll soon learn of Pfc. Hammer being the latest "Viking Kittie" on FR to go after Trolls.

[pookie18]

That makes Chantelle & I happy!!

[ride the whirlwind]

What a cutie PFC Hammer is!

"He stayed and kept mice out of our living quarters and out of our dining facility."

Hard worker too!

[boxerblues]

Introducing the new leader of the Viking Kitties

[csvset]

Aww.... cute.

[arasina]

Awwwwww...heartwarming story. Cute kitty.

[uglybiker]

Prior to leaving the region, the cat was neutered and given a clean bill of health.

IOW Not everybody came back in one piece.

I can just see him with the other cats. "Hey Fluffy. Wanna see my war wound?"

I imagine right now he feels very French.

[Riley]

Combat Kittyping.

[SandRat]

Out here in AZ we'd look twice just to make sure that it wasn't a lynx, or bobcat or a runt from a puma's litter.

Sheesh, there'll some shredded Troll clothing from that Viking Kitty!

[jocon307]

Great post! I love cats like this, my own beloved Normie was a cat of this type. Also the cat my daughter gave her boyfriend this past Christmas is like this. I am ready to steal that cat back at a moment's notice.

I'll be sending this story around to cat lovers I know.

[TEXOKIE]

Hi friend! Thought you might like to see this story!

[Moose4]

Livingston the Viking Kitty approves.

}:-)4

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

Animal Lovers PING!

Ragtime Cowgirl : This story is purrrrrrrrfect! LOL

[yonif]

lol

[Riley]

That is an extremely handsome cat, and a great story!

[cavtrooper21]

Just like any GIs...
Lay waste to the enemy and then wander around picking up cute, fuzzy critters.
God bless our Troops!! (two legged and four footed)

[Veracious Poet]

Nice to read a FR story about a cat that is loved and cherished...too many sadistic cat haters out there.

I wonder why one of the troops didn't adopt Pfc. Hammer., I can tell ya I would have added him to my kitty-corps in a NY minute! ;-)