A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....07-16-03....Every Day...."Fluffy...A Military Dog Story"

AP VIA News Observer; Dutchess; Billie | June 28, 2003 | Jay Cohen

[dutchess]

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day

Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   Over 100,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic, and the forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world.

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day was introduced on June 24, 2002. It's only a small room in JimRob's house where we can get to know one another a little better; salute and support our military and our leaders; pray for those in need; and congratulate those deserving. We strive to keep our threads entertaining, fun, and pleasing to look at, and often have guest writers contribute an essay, or a profile of another FReeper.

On Mondays please visit us to see photos of A FEW OF FR'S VETERANS AND ACTIVE MILITARY

If you have a suggestion, or an idea, or if there's a FReeper you would like to see featured, please drop one of us a note in FR mail.

We're having fun and hope you are!
~ Billie, Mama_bear, dansangel, dutchess, Aquamarine

How precious we "creatures" great and small are. We have a special story to share today of a military pet and his owner. We hope you enjoy this as much as we did. God bless our military family.

"From scruffy to Fluffy, dog of war finds loving home in USA" AP via News Observer, June 28, 2003, Jay Cohen

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (AP) - They met in northern Iraq under the most trying ofcircumstances. Army Sgt. 1st Class Russell Joyce and his unit needed a guard dog. A scruffy, rail-thin German shepherd needed a home. Though most of the soldiers in the Special Forces unit thought the dog looked too frail, Joyce felt it deserved a chance. He fed it, trained it and, almost as a joke, named it Fluffy. Through it all, man and dog forged a commitment that lasted through war and government red tape, and all the way back to a reunion and a new home in North Carolina.

"What makes this dog so great is, look at the irony," Joyce said. "We took this dog from Iraq, we trained it and we used it for our own security."

Joyce got Fluffy out of necessity. His unit, 3rd Group, Special Forces, Alpha Company, 3rd Battalion, used a dog to ward off intruders when stationed in Afghanistan and wanted another in Iraq. In March, they asked Kurdish soldiers in the area to search the streets for a suitable stray.

The Kurds came back with a gaunt German shepherd with scars on his head and legs, and missing several teeth.

"When we got him he was pretty thin. He didn't have much pep in his step and he was pretty scared," Joyce said. "He literally didn't move for a day."

Because Joyce didn't have any dog food, he fed the dog mutton, chicken and rice out of his hand. He taught the dog basic commands like heel and sit, and how to walk as a sentry dog - stay on the left side and near the handler.

Within a couple of weeks, Joyce and his fellow soldiers noticed the dog was becoming agressive to outsiders. At one point, Fluffy chased a Kurdish soldier over a fence, tearing off his pants.

"It definitely looked after us," he said. "If any American went to walk guard, meaning walk patrol, he would go right to their left side and he would stand right by them."

Joyce and Fluffy worked together until he returned home from Iraq on May 10. But the dog wasn't allowed to go along because he hadn't come from the United States with the troops.

What's more, Fluffy would be euthanized unless Joyce could find him a good home in Iraq or some way to bring the dog back with him.

Fluffy stayed with the 506th Security Forces Squadron in Iraq while Joyce started his anxious campaign at Fort Bragg.

Joyce began with e-mails and calls to the State Department, U.S. War Dogs Association President Ron Aiello and Monty Moore, a former Vietnam dog handler who runs a Web page dedicated to war dogs.

"What I heard in his voice was something I had heard hundreds of times from former military handlers from the Vietnam era who talk about their canines to this day and the love and devotion we have for them," Aiello said. "Russell had that same emotion about Fluffy."

Aiello wrote Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and set up a page in Fluffy's honor on his Web site.

Within days, Joyce had received over 1,500 e-mails inquiring about the situation. More than 32 U.S. senators also contacted him, asking what they could do to help.

By the time Joyce called Fluffy's caretakers in Iraq to tell them the machinery was in motion to bring the dog home, the Pentagon had already contacted the squadron to ask about Fluffy.

And the military found a way to gently bend its own guidelines to allow for Fluffy's transfer - it designated him an honorary working military dog with honorary war dog status.

Don Stump, an Army deputy division chief in Washington D.C., helped slice through the remaining red tape. Nearly 30 people in the military hierarchy had to sign off on the transfer and bring a successful end to what supporters called "Operation Free Fluffy."

"It stirred me up when I thought about the selfless action and courage of Fluffy," Stump said.

The Army footed the $274 to fly Fluffy to North Carolina, where Joyce was reunited with the German shepherd June 7.

The dog has won over his children, Sam, 12, and Elise, 6, and his wife, Caroline,

"He's doing great here," Joyce said. "He plays with my kids and he's not shown any aggressive behavior. We're working to deprogram him."

Caroline Joyce thought her husband was joking when he first broached the subject of bringing the dog home. Though she and the dog have become friends, it's clear who Fluffy loves most.

"The dog is fine with me but if my husband is around he doesn't want to have anything to do with me," Caroline Joyce said. "He just walks beside my husband and gazes at him all the time."

On a recent summer day, Fluffy circled nervously, whimpering while Joyce ducked into an office building. Once Joyce emerged from the side of a building, Fluffy leaped in the air.

"I see you," Joyce said with a grin as he moved closer to pet the dog on the head. "He really has a tough time because we were together the whole time when we were over there."

With Fluffy dutifully in tow, Joyce has no regrets.

"I don't label him as a pet," he said. "I label him as a buddy."

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 07-14-03...Military Monday 07-15-03..."Tagline Contest"

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' The guy's good, folks!

Thanks, Mixer!

1) Click on the graphic to open the Calendar.
2) Once there you can click on any month and even click to the right to go into next year. Once you are in the month that you joined FR you will need to click on the number in the calendar and then an add item screen will come up.
3) In the next box enter your name in the "Calendar Text" field and then click on submit.
4) If any of the screens fail to load simply click on refresh in your browser and that will usually fix it.
5) If all else fails or simply if you want me to do this for you send me an FReepmail and I will gladly do it for you. ~Mixer

[dutchess]

Do you think you could get me Fluffy's number? I've always had a "thing" for military men. I think I'm in love!

Weinie...you're way too cute!

[dutchess]

Howdy Meekie. So you were trying to ski like you did 20 years ago huh...LOL Still sore????

[dutchess]

Question: the dog looks a little different than the standard German shepard. Do you know if it is a pure bread dog?

I really don't know. I was assume it's a mix.

[dutchess]

(((((((Pippin))))))))) Glad to see you around. Hope you get your puter problems fixed soon. We miss your smiling face around here!

[dutchess]

Hi John. Glad you liked the story. I found it so very touching.

[dutchess]

Hi Before. Good to see you!

[dutchess]

Hi Julie. I voted for BillB too. Wouldn't that be an awesome experience!

[dutchess]

I been bein buzy wid alla dese CA FReepers, tryin ta dump graywater dimbulb Davis!!! Sorry I been kneeglecktinya!!! Whassup on da right coast? I been pingin ya frum time ta time, right?

Roger Hedgecock (subing for Rush)gave a great update on the petition drive today You left coast freepers rock!

[firewalk]

Hello Dutchess (-:
Nice to see you too

[MeekOneGOP]

Howdy Meekie. So you were trying to ski like you did 20 years ago huh...LOL Still sore????

Yeah, I am still sore. I went to workout yesterday and this morning, hoping to work some of it out.

Yesterday was pretty bad. Today was a lot better. I imagine from the way I feel now, I'll be A-ok tomorrow.

Hoping so, anyway, LOL !!

[lonestar]

I went riding in the car today. TWICE!

They give doggie treats at my drive-thru bank.

This has been a good doggie-day. Or a good-doggie day. Oh well, I'd rather chase squirrels than figure that one out!

Weinie

[LadyX]

"I been pingin ya frum time ta time, right?"

Wringing from me the fact I am negligent by not seeing all the hails to me, getting buried when I make so many replies here on the Finest - - eyes cast down; scruffing toe in the dirt..

Doesn't mean I kin ever ferget yew, though, Wasperman, and our savin' the forests from - well, um, ladies intent on stopping the loggers - and our Wunnerful Word Jousts..:))

My section of the East Coast is doing just fine, conservative and patriotic to the max! Makes for easy livin' - -

[LadyX]

~ ~ CHIPS ~ ~

One of the most famous war dogs is Chips. Chips was donated by his owner to the military during World War II. Chips was a member of the first group of war dogs sent overseas in October 1942 bound for French Morocco. Chips and other war dogs in this group were not trained as scouts but as sentries guarding the permeters at night.


Licata, Sicily,July 1942 - early in the morning, Chips and his handler, Pvt. John Rowell, walked the permeter of camp and came upon a camouflaged pillbox which opened fire as they approached. Chips broke free of his handler and headed for the pillbox. The firing stopped within minutes and emerging from within was an Italian soldier with Chips biting his arms and throat. Arms raised high in surrender, three more Italian soldiers followed.


Chips sustained minor injuries including scalp wounds and powder burns, "showing that a vicious fight had taken place inside the hut and that the soldiers had attempted to shoot the dog with a revolver. But the surrender came abruptly indicatinng that Chips was solely repsonsible."
(M.Lemish, War Dogs-A History of Loyalty and Heroism)


Chips was dubbed by the division and the press as "hero dog". In recognition of his service, Chips was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star and the Purple Heart, all were later revoked.


In 1993 Disney produced a TV move about Chips called "Chips the War Dog".

Chips was sent home in 1945, where he succumed to kidney and heart failure in 1946. He was awarded, unofficially, the Theatre Ribbon, with arrowhead (signifiying assault landing), and eight battle stars.

[LadyX]

New Law

On November 6, 2000, H.R.5314 became Public Law No: 106-446
amending Title 10, United States Code, to facilitate the adoption
of retired military working dogs by law enforcement agencies,
former handlers of these dogs, and other persons capable
of caring for these dogs.

The the full text of this law can be found
on the Library of Congress website at
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d106:h.r.05314:

[lonestar]

Thanks. We love dog stories.

[dutchess]

What a sweetheart you are and what great stories you tell...Thanks Maggie!

[JustAmy]

Hey we are goina dump ole Gray-Out!

[Billie]

Thanks for posting the link, Meekie - I just got back online and see that fiddlstix has asked me to ping or post the link on our thread.

But, it's not 'your' dad......is it?

[LadyX]

Bumping to Dump Davis !!

[Billie]

Afternoon, BIS - been away this afternoon and just getting back to say hello to a few I missed earlier when I was here. How are you doing?! :)