KLEENEX ALERT: WWI Tribute for Veteran's Day

[Haggis for Breakfast]

17. An excellent book, "Always Faithful," written by Captain William Putney, USMC

is a memoir to the Marine dogs of war. Captain Putney was a veterinarian and Commanding Officer of the 3rd War Dog Platoon, and later chief veterinarian and Commanding Officer of the USMC War Dog Training School at Camp Lejeune, NC. It is a tale of immense courage. And incredible sacrifice.

After Putney returned from the war, he was horrified to discover that many of the dogs were euthanized upon being returned home. Outraged, he fought for the dogs right to return to their owners, as many were pets, donated by patriotic Americans. He won that and headed up the overwhelmingly successful re-training program for these dogs to go home to their families.

Sadly, this lesson was forgotten and the dogs of Korea and Vietnam did not return home to their owners. In the final days of his administration, President Clinton signed into law an act that allows military dog handlers to bring home the dogs with which they worked. Once again, it was Putney who led the charge for this bill to become law.

I highly recommend his book to all who love dogs, but who also understand just how vital dogs are to military operations the world over. The human lives they have saved will never be fully known.