Jeff De Young: The dog who saved my life and came to live with me

[Judi Lynn]

Jeff De Young: The dog who saved my life and came to live with me
4 April 2017





. . .

The day I turned 18 I started Marine Corps boot camp, and 15 months later I went to Afghanistan. It was 2009 and I was absolutely terrified.

They paired us with the dogs based on our personalities. Cena was a slightly goofy, quiet dog, and I was a slightly goofy, quiet kid, so it made sense for us to be with each other.

Together we were known as Kid and Chicken. Chicken was one of those nicknames that you don't remember where it came from, it just kinda stuck. And although I was 19 by this stage, I looked like I was about 12, I didn't even have any facial hair. As a joke, the Marines mailed a permission slip home for my mom to sign because I looked so young they didn't believe that I was allowed to be over there.

I would operate Cena using hand and arm commands and a whistle. I'd be in front of the patrol and Cena would be further ahead again, so if either of us walked on an improvised explosive device, although we would have been hurt, the rest of the patrol would be safe. I'd never been faced with a situation like that before and it felt like a crash course in adulthood, responsibility, and survival.

More:
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-39355775

[peacebuzzard]

1. This made me weep, I myself saw quite a few soldiers come back

From the war zone, since I was on a marathon of air travel at the time. The honor guard was ever so present transporting the remains of their brothers back. I even ran into a huge burly civilian dressed soldier in tears over losing 19 war dogs during the transportation back to the U.S.
I am glad these partners made it back to safety. And they have each other to survive with their ghosts of the past. Heart wrenching story, this one is. God bless our service men and women.

[Phentex]

2. It's always a strong bond...

dogs are amazing and the love/spirit they bring cannot be underestimated.