Comments on: VET VISIT

By: Silver Turtle

Silver Turtle — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 01:51:53 +0000

Sorry I didn’t get to this earlier; but –

I could give a rat’s behind who proposed it! Let’s get it proposed again. Being a vet myself, it’s a great idea and it’s time we get this done!

By: Jen

Jen — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 04:41:55 +0000

You have an animal that is willing to go through hell, injury, and possibly death just to protect you, without knowing about the meaning of war or politics, simply to protect those they love. I think that’s pretty much sugar-coated already.

Maybe the arrogant European should actually have to go through war before criticizing people for being moved by sacrifice of any kind.

I’m not a veteran, but I have many friends who are. After hearing about their experiences, this photo made me cry on their behalf. Semper fi.

By: Rascal's Hyoomin

Rascal's Hyoomin — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 05:07:18 +0000

I know this comment is a long time after the post, but I wanted to say it moved me to tears. All servicemen/women (that serve honorably) deserve a reception and ovation like that. Just amazing.

By: Jessica

Jessica — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 20:20:50 +0000

What a lovely picture. It makes me smile to see this in the midst of everything that is going on.

By: Mel

Mel — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 05:13:01 +0000

My fiance is well on his way to serve as a veterinarian with the Armed Forces…makes me cry, I am so proud to be part of it!

By: Raine-chan

Raine-chan — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 23:21:12 +0000

me three

By: Raine-chan

Raine-chan — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 23:18:43 +0000

i- i think im gonna cry…too beautiful…

By: krl

krl — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 23:09:40 +0000

Sorry bout that arrogant european commenting earlier, disgraces us all. We’re not all like that.
Don’t know if it is for my own military career or the doggies or don’t know what but I for sure am one european that really gets the meaning of this picture and caption.
True heroes indeed!

By: Jennie

Jennie — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 02:50:40 +0000

Actually this picture was taken on Naval Base Guam. The soldier is a member of the Seabee’s stationed here. They always have a mascot dog at their Camp on base here, the two current being Star and Storm, local rescue dogs.

By: Dudehammer

Dudehammer — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 04:33:30 +0000

Dear Lord, I NEVER cry. No matter how hard something hits me. This has me fighting back tears. Hell if it weren’t for a dog serving with my grandfather’s unit in Korea my family line would have ended with him.

By: Dawn

Dawn — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 15:51:39 +0000

Beautiful! So many dogs give their lives protecting us humanz from ourselves-sad so many of us never learn-God Bless this pooch,

By: shaungrl

shaungrl — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 20:02:08 +0000

Hmmm. Ever heard of the word “poignant”? But, then again, I’m sure you’re familiar with a few other words, as it is most likely that peeps hurl them at you frequently, considering your lack of empathy.

By: shaungrl

shaungrl — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 19:51:56 +0000

Hey, take your own advice.

By: margaret

margaret — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 15:15:50 +0000

What part of Europe are you in/from? I am an American who lived & worked in Germany for two years attached to military interests. My dog (not a working dog, just the love of my life) was welcomed in every hotel I stayed at, every restaurant I ate at, every bar I drank at … He’s been on the trains, the buses and on the airplanes he was treated better than I was! Didn’t matter if we were in the smaller villages or the large cities. In fact we attended an festival in Munich during October and every person we passed had to touch him. He was an Akita and few had ever seen his breed. They were all interested in learning about him. He was a wonder ambassador for his breed, that is for sure.

By: Lynn

Lynn — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 03:05:57 +0000

I didn’t just tear up, I cried. and then I thought, maybe the best way to honor these dogs is to stop having to use them. I know I always felt safer with my dogs at home; if other people love them (and you know the handlers probably love their dogs more than some civilian, like me), then we should protect them, and reward their fidelity with some of our own. by ceasing to fight amongst ourselves, so they don’t have to be put at risk.

these, and police and fire dogs, are TRUE SERVICE dogs; thanks for protecting our soldiers, for finding/rescuing people, for catching the bad guys, and being our best friends ever!

By: nomad462

nomad462 — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 02:13:12 +0000

this is by far the best post i have seen on this site. whenever i visit this site i have to see this post to remind me that there are some beings on this earth that are capable of unwavering loyalty and love.

By: Sheriff

Sheriff — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 07:29:15 +0000

pic of doggie…take a pill gi joe

By: Kimmy

Kimmy — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 02:01:02 +0000

As a former US Air Force military working dog handler with two tours in the Persian Gulf on her record, your post brought tears to my eyes. My father is buried at Arlington National Cemetery and I would love to see a memorial to the dogs there.

He served in both Korea and Vietnam and I remember hearing him talk about the dogs that served with them. It always made me very proud of what I did while I was in the military myself.

God bless Marco and Max, who are no longer with us, and Asta, whom I suspect is also gone. Heroes, all three.

By: SpamLamb

SpamLamb — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 22:31:23 +0000

Wait. I don’t quite get it. What’s racist about Silas? It was one of Paul’s associates in the New Testament. Is there something I don’t know about?

By: canevandas

canevandas — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 10:49:55 +0000

Actually Army used the exact same color pattern, only difference is the design of the headgear.. but yes that’s defiantly a Marine

By: Penhaligan

Penhaligan — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 17:37:29 +0000

There’s also a cemetery in Edinburgh Castle (Scotland’s capital) for the soldiers dogs.

By: Kelly

Kelly — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 14:19:01 +0000

I want this as a poster for my wall — I work at the local VA, and this is just wonderful!! Thank you so much for posting — I have emailed it to everyone at work.

By: Ingrid

Ingrid — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 00:23:03 +0000

I have had the honor to served along side k-9 handlers in the Navy and by the way the Navy still does wear that style BDU the blue diggy won’t be in total production and worn for about two years the Navy is in uniform transition. K-9’s are always one rank higher than thier handler forcing the handler and reminding the handler to be always respectful of the dog. In the case of a first class petty officer I knew, E-6 for you who are counting the dog rated as a chief in the Navy E-7.
The logic is from calvary days when a soldier was held responsible for the animal. The last drink of water in the canteen was the horses and the last food was the horses. In the case of the dog if it is hot and tired he rides you walk if there is no room the animal is first you are second. Teaching you always to carry enough gear for both of you.
I always loved the dog handlers in our base they were brave and they were bold. I would have love to have made it that far in my career don’t sell an animal short.

By: Fernblatt

Fernblatt — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 05:19:15 +0000

Well said Pheemz.

Times and language may change, but we don’t have to erase history because a few names in use then may hurt feelings now.

Example – Recently, several VA hospitals have recently taken down framed headlines of “Japs Surrender” because the words might “hurt people’s feelings”. We don’t use those words now. We were at war then. Don’t revise history to fit the politics of later times, as politics and attitudes change. History is just a matter of record of times past and any attempts at it’s revision is wrong, things that have happened in the past can’t be changed despite anyone’s attempt at doing so. We should use the past for the lessons it’s taught us – good and bad – not try to deny any of it happened.

(If I were more awake, that would have made more sense, sorry. lol)

By: Seren

By: Abbie

Abbie — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 21:02:41 +0000

Yes, I’m sure dogs feel very honored about being forced to give their lives for humans’ idiocy.

By: varenoea

varenoea — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 20:48:30 +0000

Oh God, don’t make me vomit…

Yes, it’s great that dogs can be trained and be used for military purposes. No, when you overdo it and sugar-coat it like that, you’re fulfilling the biggest prejudice we have about Americans, in Europe.

And here I was, trying not to have any.

By: rosie

rosie — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 16:56:14 +0000

thank you mimi, your retelling of the congressman’s story and his reason for the suggestion actually brought more tears to my eyes than the original post. that was beautiful

god bless and keep all those fallen soldiers, man, woman and canine.

By: Pheemz

Pheemz — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 15:47:43 +0000

That would have been a brilliant idea, shame it didn’t get taken up.

By: Niggit

Niggit — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 15:35:21 +0000

No, of course they don’t feel that way. They don’t understand the nature of war, or why somebody is throwing heavy explosive things at them.

What they DO understand is love and loyalty towards their owners and human companions, and they’ll stick with them, love them and do their damndest to protect them right to the bitterest of bitter ends. I’d say that deserves some kind of recognition, wouldn’t you??

By: mimi

mimi — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 14:43:23 +0000

There was a discussion in congress about placing a national memorial to the war dogs somewhere in DC. Somebody complained about honoring the dead canines, saying this would detract from the honor paid to human war heroes and veterans. Another congressman stood and began talking about his experiences as a veteran (of WWII IIRC). He said that the only time he and the other men in his unit could get any decent sleep is when they had a canine and handler traveling with them-then, they could relax and get some deep sleep, knowing the dog’s superior senses were on alert. He went on to suggest that a memorial to the war dogs be placed at the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery. The dog statue there would be symbolically watching over the heroes sleeping their eternal sleep, just as the real life dogs had once watched over their exhausted, sleeping companions.

It was a great suggestion, but I don’t believe it passed.

I read about this incident in a book many years ago. Say, late 1980s-early 1990s. I wish I could remember the title and the author, so I could post a link. I also wish I could post the name of the congressman veteran. But even if the war dogs didn’t get a national monument at Arlington, I’m glad they have monuments throughout the USA and elsewhere.

(I have always thought it touching and right that K 9 cops killed in the line of duty invariably have their photos mounted alongside the human police personnel’s photos on the memorial stationhouse walls, not segregated in an area for dogs.)

By: rosieluv

rosieluv — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 13:27:48 +0000

Poor, brave, faithful Nigel.

By: Pheemz

Pheemz — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 13:09:20 +0000

I have a wonderful image of some young kid saying ‘walkies sir’ to a dog now…

By: Pheemz

Pheemz — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 13:07:40 +0000

Of course not, they did it for their human friends. In that regard, they’re pretty much the same as many of the men who died, they weren’t thinking of their country, they were thinking of their mates and looking out for the guy next to them.

You’re not one of those hardcore animal rights morons who’d rather have another 25 names on a human war memorial than this, are you?

By: Anon

Anon — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 12:13:08 +0000

Semper Fido

By: Jen Cole

Jen Cole — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 12:06:27 +0000

God Bless you this is a great photo/caption and message!
we can not thank enough every one, and can not honor enough those lost, people/ and there wonderful comrades the work Dogs.