Guam 1944 and war dogs

Yesterday I saw a very touching TV documentary. It was the story of the canine unit during the war with the Japanese in Guam in 1944. The surviving soldiers talked about their bond during training and the hard days of the war in the jungle. Those dogs were their friend and were very useful on spotting/hearing/smelling the enemy before the humans did. They were involved in dangerous missions and their action helped the army take Guam in 1944.

Of the 500 dogs they used in this unit, they lost 25 dogs. Each lost was devastating to the handler. The bond worked both ways: one handler was killed by enemy fire and his dog stayed side of the body and did not let anybody touch the remains. Some of those dogs were given to the army only for the time of the war. After it ended, they dogs had to go back to their owners. Most soldiers were so bonded with their dogs they ask to keep them. Because of the nature of the army training, the dogs that went back in civil life had to be detrained. Surprisingly, only 4 dogs did not make the cut. So the majority went back to normal life with kids and family. Most of these dogs were Dobermans, but in the documentary you saw a lot of other types of dogs too.

A memorial status was erected in Guam, and now at the University of Tennessee at the College of Veterinary Medicine, celebrating the dogs that fought side of the soldiers in Guam.

http://www.vet.utk.edu/wardog/background.shtml

http://www.flickr.com/photos/angells60640/sets/72157612523811537/