“Hell on Four Paws”: War Dogs in Vietnam

RP Members and Connections - great article on War Dogs in Vietnam! Any stories from our Vietnam Veterans out there to be told?

Marine dog handler Fred Dorr and his scout dog Sarge were leading a dozen other soldiers through a Vietnam jungle in 1969, when Sarge suddenly barked and sat down. Realizing Sarge was alerting him to danger, Dorr discovered that he was only a step away from a trip wire, which if triggered, would have killed him and half of the other soldiers.

In another instance, scout dog Duke and his handler Sergeant Jonnie Foster were walking point for a battalion, when Duke alerted Foster to the presence of the Viet Cong. This prevented the battalion from walking into an enemy ambush and instead allowed them to secure strong defensive positions before the ensuing fight. Duke and Foster were later praised in a letter of commendation by the company’s commanding officer for “clearly demonstrating the high level of proficiency that can be rendered by scout dog teams.”