Adopted Dog Spreads Cheer at Gulf Base

Associated Press | April 23, 2003 | ALEXANDRA ZAVIS

[holyscroller]

IN THE GULF REGION - He's a most atypical Marine — he chows down the prepackaged rations with gusto and gets a promotion whenever he bites an officer.

He's Dragon, the 4-month-old mutt adopted by Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 268 when they found him sniffing through garbage at their base near Iraq (news - web sites), whose exact location they won't allow to be made public.

Dragon — named in honor of the squadron's nickname of Red Dragons — is a cheerful reminder of quieter times. He's full of goofy antics like bounding down the airstrip with a wrench in his teeth.

The Marines aren't sure what will happen to Dragon when it's time to go home. They hope to take him along but need funding for the vaccines and quarantine period.

For now, though, "he's good to have around," said Cpl. Christopher Oakeson, 22, of San Antonio, Texas, giving the part-German Shepherd a playful pat as the puppy attacked a chew toy.

"With a war going on, it's nice to be able to just play with a dog sometimes."

As soon as the Marines' relatives heard about the puppy, they started sending him food, toys and other treats and now "he gets more boxes than any of us," said Sgt. Neuman Burrell, 35, from Kentwood, La.

Sporting a red collar with engraved ID tag, Dragon turns his nose up at dry dog food but devours the packaged Meal Ready to Eat. The peanut butter and Thai chicken servings are his favorites.

He also enjoys baths with Herbal Essence shampoo, said Cpl. Amanda Hoenes, 21, of Branson, Mo.

Occasionally, he shows behavior that earns him the nickname "devil dog" — which Marines call themselves. Dragon barks at rival squadrons and sometimes bites. When he chomps an officer, the Marines give him a promotion.

After two bites, the dog is — unofficially, of course — a lance corporal.

[holyscroller]

He seems to understand English. I'll bet the guys love him. Sure hope he gets to come home with them.

[HairOfTheDog]

I think dogs have to spend at least a month isolated in quarantine, unless someone would send over the required vaccinations now, but even then, he may still have to do quarantine, which is pretty stressful. I hope he finds a good home too, but maybe a home with a local would be easier on him in the short run.

[Saturnalia]

Insert Korean joke here.

[cubreporter]

What a nice lighthearted story. Hope he gets a good home though or the vaccines he needs to avoid quarantine. Perhaps there could be waiver if the above could happen. Either way, I hope he continues to get good attention. What will happen to him after the Marines leave? I hope he gets to go back to the states and become a US Citizen. :) Seems he deserves it poor thing. God bless Americans and our military. They are the BEST!!! Just listening to Darryl Worley's song "Have you Forgotten" as I am writing this and it just says it all. I'm so darned glad to have been born in this country and to be an American I could burst. Everything we have has been fought for and blood shed...just like he says we don't have this ground because we backed down. It's worth fighting for forever and always!!

[Desdemona]

ping

[nickcarraway]

"With a war going on, it's nice to be able to just play with a dog sometimes."

[tet68]

Bump.

We had some in Vietnam, nice to have something "normal".

[nickcarraway]

what kind were they?

[tet68]

I don't know, vietnamese mutts, most had the curled tail of the true mutt strain.

[joesnuffy]

We'd had a couple to had to protect them from the locals