Your donation to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund will help expand our mission to honor, educate and heal. Among those names is Airman 2nd Class George Michael Bevich Jr., the first Air Force dog handler killed on Dec. 4, 1966, in a Viet Cong mortar attack while protecting Tan Son Nhut Air Base near Saigon with his dog, Rex. He said that only two things kept him going through the difficult time of war, letters from home and time with his dog, Fritz. . https://www.vvmf.org/topics/Dogs-of-the-Vietnam-War/, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoqvA8xafKg, https://www.vvmf.org/The-Wall-That-Heals/, https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLK63b6Cn53unMMj-yZYEch0RuYy1YN1zl, Vietnam Dog Handlers Association http://www.vdha.us/. In this National Geographic videoat 0:16, there's a a black horizontal flag displaying a dog (most likely a German Shepherd) and a helicopter and an aircraft in the background, It seems it is a commemorative flag honoring the War dogs sent during the Vietnam War by the United States. Your email address will not be published. Military Working Dogs or Contractor Working Dogs, Photos Above: Safe Conduct Passes, Courtesy of Bruce Pritchett, Don (Jack) Kelly Korat RTAFB 'Nov Their duties were widespread - scout, sentry, patrol, mine and booby-trap detection, water and combat. deaths. While serving as a dog handler. In the jungles of Vietnam, nearly 4,000 specially trained dogs served in a variety of combat roles, reportedly saving tens of thousands of U.S. troops from injury and death. Here's a typical career pathway for a military dog handler: 1. This Bulldog, officially known as Chesty XV, is the Marines' official mascot. Complete Lists of served in the U.S. Air Force as an Airman 1st Class with the 56th Security Police Squadron in Thailand from 1971-1972. VSPA or photos. 113 likes. Augmentee. Scout / Tracker Dogs. first Air Force Dog Handler to die in Vietnam. Instead, they are offered first to former military dog handlers, then to law enforcement, and finally to qualified families, who undergo a rigorous screening process. Prince worked in San Diego sniffing for drugs at the border. Handler controls and pets the dog. Dog teams form a bond so strong that a handlers attitude will affectthe dogs attitude and vice versa. Most MWDs that defecate in their kennels will simply wait for their handler to clean it up. There are over 1300 working Dog handler teams worldwide, and the . Click here to view the War Tales fan page on FaceBook. While stationed in Thailand with the 56th Security Police Squadron Bob formed a steadfast relationship with his military working dog Rex. free to copy photos or stories. Free shipping for many products! He was killed in a Viet Cong mortar attack in December 1966. There is a long history of dogs being used in war that stretches back to ancient times. Rosa and Joyce went to the base commander, explained the situation and requested that they be given combat boots and fatigues. Tracker dogs were trained to track based on blood trails, odors, and other evidence of someone having . Tan Son Nhut Air Base on December 4, one air force handler and three sentry dogs were killed during a VC penetration. There were also mine and booby trap dogs. Dogs could even detect enemy fighters submerged in rivers, breathing through hollow reeds and waiting to attack American watercraft. Hereare the most common terms and what they mean. Dogs, from Elks magazine Courtesy of Don (Jack) Kelly Korat RTAFB 'Nov If the decoy is too stiff, they can jam the dog which can potentially hurt them. * Firearms, to include conceal carry and other dangerous weapons, are specifically prohibited in Federal facilities in accordance with 18 USC 930 (c) Their keen senses, learning ability, physical endurance, and devotion to man have made them invaluable companions on battlefields both past and present. Vietnam. is an association for USAF Open9 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week. Battles/Campaigns: Vietnam. John Worsham has his Bronze Star replaced. "The dog, being a non-commissioned officer, or NCO, would outrank or match in rank to . Your email address will not be published. The several thousand surviving war dogs were crated and no longer performing their jobs in the field because their masters were ordered out of South Vietnam. This study Everything for our dogs. When a handler asks another handler to decoy for their MWD. Ian Harvey is one of the authors writing for WAR HISTORY ONLINE, The Follow-Up to Band of Brothers is Coming. Note: Working on this list. Home | Join VDHA | Membership Renewal | Contact Us | Member Login 2023 VDHA All Rights reserved. - Box cutters The dog handlers begged and pleaded for the government to let them take thier dogs home. Very few dogs were redeployed to U.S. bases outside of South Vietnam to live out their lives in peace. Many dog handlers had a difficult time returning from the war. The 20-year-old airman was paired with a 75-pound female German shepherd named Vogie., These dogs were just like having a child. References For the Air ForceBasic Military Training: 8.5 weeks; For the Coast GuardRecruit Training: 8.5 weeks . Click here to return to Protecting the Force: Air Base Defense. Reeves has volunteered at Motts Military Museum since 2012. I was a sentry dog handler in Vietnam from 1967 to 1968, a member of the 212th Military Police Sentry Dog Company stationed in Tay Ninh. Security Police team with a dog on an early morning reconnaissance patrol near Phu Cat Air Base, South Vietnam, in 1967. MWD It is not possible to overestimate the incredible bond that existed between handler and dog. Bill Cummings, a retired Air Force K-9 handler, in his home on April 14, 2018. in Marana, Ariz. Cummings helps former dog handlers find out the fates of military working dogs from the Vietnam era. 366th SPS History. When King was sent home in January 1968, he had to leave Fritz behind. No handler wants to hear reverse. Whendoing detection with their MWD, if a handler hears reverse from the instructor, they know they missed the training aid and now must do the embarrassing action of backtracking. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airmen Elizabeth Figueroa) (Air Force photo/Lisa Camplin) "Feed the Dawgs is a U.S. Veterans group of Vietnam era dog handlers who travel from base-to-base to provide a meal for K-9 handlers and their families," said Kenneth Neal, Vietnam Dog Handlers Association member. Handlers reward their dogs so much that they call themselves nothing but a kong dispenser. This would be the largest battle involving sentry dogs, their . Lisa Rogak, in " The Dogs of War," commented that the Viet Cong offered the equivalent of $20,000 for a dog's ear; proof of the handler's death only garnered the equivalent of $10,000. MWDs build up a lot ofmomentum when they run after the decoy. The dog and handler were very effective in defending aircraft, airfields, supply depots, ammunition dumps, defensive perimeters, and many other strategic military facilities throughout South Vietnam. Motts Military Museum in Groveport, Ohio (a suburb of Columbus, Ohio), dedicated the new Vietnam War Dog Team Memorial. The cost to feed a dog was more than the cost to feed the handler. The scent of the Vietnamese was very different and much easier for them to pick up and alert on. Reeves was a dog handler in Vietnam. From here, you can become an active duty dog handler. Their final fate was either to be transferred to the South Vietnam Army or to be euthanized after each war dog unit was methodically and strategically deactivated throughout South Vietnam. Exercising of K-9 sentry dogs and patrolling tactics used by the handlers of the 37th Security Police Squadron in Phu Cat Air Base, Vietnam. I laugh at some of the things we all did. The Vietnam Dog Handler Association formed to help these veterans cope with the guilt of leaving their dogs behind. As Nemo charged, Throneburg killed two enemy troops. Learn more about these four-legged warriors and their two-legged warriors by hearing from Terry Kehoe, Mark Smoot, and Bob Dunn. "Those that did not die were euthanized or left behind when US troops withdrew from the war. The middle panel contains the words, The Unbreakable Bond.. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. (Image courtesy of the Security Forces Museum). 00, 000, 0000 000 General Military Duty 0001 Duties Unassigned 0002 General Officer 0003 "Relieved From Duty, Sick in Hospital or Quarters" 0005 ROTC Officer Awaiting Entry On Active Duty . Ray Roberts & King, Da Nang AB Vietnam April 1973 Photo Courtesy of Don Poss, Fred Hewitt & Sentry Dog Bullet Da Nang AB Perimeter Dec 1967 Photo courtesy of Monty Moore, A1C Shark and K-9 Heino at Cam Ranh Bay AFB Vietnam. (U.S. Air Force photo). RAF Military Working Dogs play a vital role supporting RAF Police Handlers to protect people and fight crime. What did the S. Vietnamese Army do to the dogs, eat them? South Vietnam fell to North Vietnam in 1975, which officially ended the war. When U.S. forces exited from Vietnam only 200 of the dogs made it back to the states. CHARLES HENRY WAS A DOG HANDLER WITH THE U.S. AIR FORCE DURING THE VIETNAM WAR. as Air Police / The dog handlers and scout dogs attached to the Army's Marauder Infantry from the WWII China-Burma-India theater. - Firearms* John Davis, 3rd SPS, Bien Hoa AB, 1969 Photo Courtesy of Paul Kaiser, Bien Thuy Vietnam 1967/68 . The dogs started out at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas with a thorough physical exam. Each team included a visual tracker and a dog handler upfront, followed by their cover man, then the radioman and the team leader. duty military dogs, rigorous tick control, Organized January 8, 1966 at Charleston AFB, South Carolina; Redesignated 437th Security Police Squadron March 8, 1967. I just dont get it ! the working dog program and led to 250 canine evaluation of the disease threat in areas where Vision: They werent interested in us, they wanted to knock out our planes and helicopters with satchel charges, mortars or 122 millimeter rockets, he said. internet speed. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Here are the most common terms and what they mean. "We now have 2,000 former dog handlers in our organization today." Airman 2/C George Bevich, a dog handler in Vietnam is pictured with his dog, Rex. The water dogs proved to be quite successful in saving lives and equipment, reducing the enemys capacity to conduct underwater sabotage operations. On March 3, 2023, at a White House ceremony, retired Army Colonel Paris Davis received the Medal of Honor. She would get excited, but she was trained not to bark. The two were trained to scout which meant they would go on patrols and search for people, mines and booby traps. This scent or sound alert was also true of the sentry dog teams, like Smokey and me. Dogs have been mans partners in war for a long time at least as far back as 4000 BC. You had to be careful not to get in an area that was being hit by one of these dragon ships or a helicopter gun ship. . Enemy return fire hit Throneburg in the shoulder and Nemo in the snout. Thailand from 1960-1975, It was a disgrace and left thousands of dog handlers in a state of depression for years to come. Name: John Francis Langley This was considered the last combat action of the Vietnam war. Sgt. The mission of the 341st Training Squadron is to provide trained military working dogs and handlers for the Department of Defense, other government agencies and allies through training, logistical, veterinary support and research and development for security efforts worldwide. Air Force dog handlers provided a unique and critical capability in defending air bases against attack. All Rights Reserrved. On a night in early December 1966, about 75 enemy raiders slipped past the first perimeter line at Tan Son Nhut Air Base, South Vietnam. Navy K-9 Sentry Dogs UNK. Fortunately he had also become a member and responded to my email. Not every unit on patrol got a dog; there werent enough to go around, and in those cases, a Soldier would have to walk point alone. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for USAF Security Police Sentry Dog K9 Handlers Photo Flight Line Formation 1950-60s at the best online prices at eBay!