So are you saying that in Vietnam it wasn’t that almost all of the 4,000 K9’s died in action - but were just abandoned??!! That is messed up. Just think of how many GI lives were saved by those dogs baking warnings, discovering the enemy, maybe chasing them down in tunnels, etc. I thought it was so many of them had died in action, but I guess that would be way to many to have almost all of them get killed.
The dogs were handed over to the Vietnamese army as America withdrew, just before it all went to hell.
The dogs died.
There is a great show called Pet Heroes. In one episode, it talks about a NeNewfoundland who was adopted by a regiment of Canadian troops during WW II.
Long story short, the dog, named Gander, noticed that the troops were throwing back the Japanese grenades.
At some point, the men were all injured and another grenade came flying in,but they wwere too injured to reach it. So the dog grabbed it into its mouth and ran away. He was blown up a few seconds later, but he saved the lives of seven men.
I think he received posthumous military award for that.
Military, police and service dogs are amazing. Truly man’s best friend.
I was assigned to a MACV Team in Vietnam, but my primary MOS was Military Police.
One of my best buddies over there was a Dog Handler Trainer.
(Both Sentry and Tracker)
Dogs that ended up with the ARVNs did not fare well.