Military Suicide: Son and Mom Used Same Gun 4 Years Apart

A mother struggles to move on from veteran's suicide
St. Cloud Times
Kirsti Marohn
November 16, 2014

Gavic was a decorated canine handler in the Air Force.
He killed himself in 2009.

Rory Gavic and Allan. (Photo: Connecticut Police Work Dog Association)

Debbie Larsen walks past the graves of her sister Linda Sawatzke and nephew Rory Gavic at the St. Francis Catholic Cemetery near Buffalo on Nov. 7.

His mother, Linda Sawatzke, killed herself almost exactly four years later with the same handgun.

(Photo: Dave Schwarz St. Cloud Times)

Rory Gavic was a young, decorated military member who served his country overseas twice, who had earned praise and the respect of his peers, who had volunteered as a Big Brother.

His suicide in 2009 devastated his family, especially his mother. His death was the beginning of hers.

Rory had joined the U.S. Air Force Reserve after graduating from Eagan High School in 2002. A few years later, he enlisted as active duty in the Air Force and rose to the rank of staff sergeant.

As a military canine handler, Rory served in Iraq in 2007 and Pakistan in 2009. He earned more than a dozen commendations, including Airman of the Year in 2008.

Rory earned a reputation as a skilled dog handler and a committed soldier who was well liked by his fellow troops. He loved animals, especially his military working dog, Allan. In photos, he's seen crouched down next to the burly tan and black German shepherd. Rory is lean and muscular, dark eyes gazing straight ahead.

But the deployments changed Rory. He struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Left behind were two brothers and a stepsister, his stepfather and his heartbroken mother. The program for the memorial service included a quote from Linda.

"Rory, I love you more with every beat of my heart. I miss you so much my son and you have only been gone for a short while. My life and my heart have a missing piece that will not fill until I see you again."
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Soldier Searching For Dog Gets Help From Michael Savage After PTSD Veterans Slammed!

UPDATE Army soldier, war dog reunited after adoption application snafu Intense media campaign helps bring Afghanistan bomb-hunting team back together

I was sent a link from a friend about a missing service dog and it is pretty bad as is but what makes it worse is that suddenly Michael Savage cares about the same veterans he slammed as being weak?

Wounded Times: Michael Savage Lashes Out After Veteran ...

woundedtimes.blogspot.com/.../michael-savage-lashes-out-after-veteran....

Oct 21, 2014 - Savage said the country needs "men like him to save the country" after a caller saying he was a veteran with PTSD. He said people with PTSD ...

Wounded Times: Veterans Fed Up With Michael Savage ...

woundedtimes.blogspot.com/.../veterans-fed-up-with-michael-savage.ht...

Oct 22, 2014 - Michael Savage Lashes Out After Veteran with PTSD Calls ... Transition Battalion, where soldiers recover from physical and mental wounds.

Wounded Times: Junk Science Behind Michael Savage's ...

woundedtimes.blogspot.com/.../junk-science-behind-michael-savages.ht...

Oct 26, 2014 - I can't write some of the words used by veterans when we talked aboutMichael Savage attacking veterans. I got about as bad as I could get ...

Wounded Times: While You Were in Vietnam, Michael ...

woundedtimes.blogspot.com/.../while-you-were-in-vietnam-michael.html

Oct 27, 2014 - In case you've been unplugged since last week, you may have missedMichael Savage's latest group to hate. Our troops and veterans with  ...

DOUCHE ALERT! Wounded Veteran Hero’s War Dog Stolen! Give Back Matty Mr. Vargas! (VIDEOS)
Ct Patriot: When I first heard about this story I was intrigued being a dog lover and a big supporter of our troops regardless of their mission. The more I listened I went from sad to outrage pretty quick.

This soldier Brent Grommet and his war dog Matty went to hell and back together. Not only is it the Law but it’s the right thing to do. I am asking all of you to push this issue.

Let’s make Mr. Richard Vargas who now works privately for the Pentagon to explain why he stole this hero’s dog. What he did with Matty? And why does he think he can just do what he want’s to a war hero?

Apr 28, 2014 Matty the German Shepherd was helping Army Specialist Brent Grommet patrol the roads of Afghanistan for improved explosive devices when one of those devices went off. Both Grommet and Matty were injured.While Grommet was having surgery on his back, Matty was adopted by someone else. Since then, Grommet has been searching for his brave best friend.

OMG! This is the same Michael Savage coming out and insulting veterans with PTSD! What is this? His redemption?

Marine's Best Friend Lost Limb to Save Him

A Marine's Best Friend
Parade
SEPTEMBER 27, 2014

Military dogs are often our troops’ first line of defense, sniffing out hidden bombs in some of the most dangerous places on earth. This excerpt from the new book Top Dog by Maria Goodavage recalls the ­sacrifice and bravery of a smart German Shepherd–­Belgian Malinois mix, who led Special Forces ­soldiers onto a battlefield in Afghanistan’s Helmand River valley in March of 2012. But it also captures the loyalty and trust that develop between a dog and her handler and the deep, loving bond that lasts a lifetime.

Rod never left Lucca's side as she recovered from surgery.

(Courtesy of Juan Rodgriguez)

Marine Cpl. Juan “Rod” Rodriguez crunched across the dry farm field, his right hand resting on the M4 rifle strapped to his chest. He kept clear of the path that meandered through hard clumps of dirt that looked nothing like the rich soil of his New England roots. The road less traveled—ideally, no road at all—was the safest from homemade bombs sowed by the Taliban.

Rod watched his dog Lucca, who was 30 feet ahead, inspecting for IEDs. Unlike much of the agricultural land around here, this field was barren. In the distance, a compound, a tree line, some worn-down mountains.

Rod could see Lucca trotting with a purpose, nose down, tail up. She was an old pro at the business of sniffing IEDs off leash. “Good girl, Mama Lucca,” he said under his breath.

Lucca Bear. Lucca Pie. Bearcat Jones. Mama Lucca. The Special Forces ­soldiers Rod was working with had come to know Lucca by all the terms of endearment she had inspired during her career. She had led more than 400 missions, and no one had been hurt by an IED when they were with her.

Mama Lucca was the name that had stuck lately. She was the only one that the Green Berets felt comfortable hugging after a tough day. The maternal moniker was a natural fit.

A cloud of gray smoke erupted before Rod heard the explosion. “No!” Rod shouted, squeezing his helmet between his hands. Radios around him buzzed into a frenzy, but he didn’t hear words. As the curtain of debris curled away, he could see Lucca had dragged herself up and was standing, dazed, alive. Rod dashed toward her, not thinking about IEDs that might be between them. Lucca could take only a few steps before Rod swept her up in his arms.

A History of Canines in Combat

When called, these tail-wagging warriors ­became battlefield heroes

Sgt. Stubby served through 17 battles in World War I, leading medics to the wounded and saving his regiment from a gas attack. He made the front page of newspapers back home when he caught a German spy literally by the seat of his pants.

Smoky, a Yorkie discovered in a foxhole in New Guinea during World War II, accompanied Cpl. William A. Wynne (often riding in his backpack) for nearly two years through the South Pacific. When Wynne was hospitalized, Smoky lifted the spirits of other patients and even went on rounds. She’s considered the first therapy dog.

Nemo protected his handler, Robert Thorneburg, during a fight with Viet Cong in South Vietnam. Despite a gunshot wound and an injury that would lead to the loss of his eye, the 85-pound German Shepherd crawled on top of his injured handler until help ­arrived.
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Vietnam Veterans Taking Care of Brothers

Veterans on cycles help bring 'brother' home
Meadville Tribune
Earl Corp
September 5, 2014

Brother
Veterans gather for a prayer in the parking lot of Mizner’s Funeral Home prior to saddling up for Pittsburgh to escort Marine Sgt. Brandon Bizzarro on his last ride home Friday night.

There are several words that can describe Brandon Bizzarro — Marine sergeant, biker, Meadville Area Senior High School graduate and son. But Friday night the word that kept coming up over and over was brother. This was the main theme of the approximately 25 veterans on motorcycles who came to Mizner Funeral Home in Meadville to escort Brandon’s family to Pittsburgh to pick up the 22-year-old’s remains and bring him back for his last ride to Meadville.

Bizzarro, an active duty Marine from the Meadville-Saegertown area, was the victim of on a hit-and-run accident while riding his prized GSXR Suzuki 750 motorcycle, Carmen, in California last Thursday.

Cochranton’s Rob Preston was a Marine dog handler in Vietnam, and serves as commander of the Veterans of the Vietnam War Post 52. There was no doubt why he was there for the late-night round trip.

“It’s a brother, we’ve got to take care of our brothers,” Preston said. “If we don’t take care of our brothers we’re not worth anything.”

Greg Hardy was an Army veteran with the 82nd Airborne Division and was riding to Pittsburgh because, “If it was me I’d want the same,” he said.

Navy Corpsman and Iraq veteran Brian Byers helped organize the motorcade which included a police escort, the bikes, a limousine with the immediate family, a hearse and other family and friends in assorted vehicles for the trip to Pittsburgh International Airport. The convoy left Mizner’s with a Meadville police escort, and Vernon Township police picked up the duties at Smock Bridge to the Interstate 79 exit. In Grove City, the convoy would be joined by more veterans on bikes paying their respects.

“This is what we do for fallen comrades,” Byers said. “And I know the family.”

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Military Service Dog Still Patrols at Home

FETCH 'EM HOME
From Afghanistan to Anniston, military dogs get retirement fit for a hero
Anniston Star
August 30, 2014

Bill Wilson Anniston Star

When Kyle Cruse takes his German shepherd, Drako, for a walk around Oxford Lake, he has to be quick snapping on the leash. Otherwise, the shaggy, doe-eyed dog begins to methodically inspect each car in the parking lot.

“He thinks he has to sniff all the cars for bombs,” explained Cruse.

Playing in the creek or chasing his ball around the park, Drako might be mistaken for just another family pet. But this pet was trained in explosives detection and deployed to Afghanistan to work under contract for the U.S. military.

Cruse adopted him from Piper’s Rescue in March, one month after the retired working dog returned home, along with 91 of his four-legged co-workers, in an unprecedented mass transport that ended right here in Anniston.

Watching Drako’s transition from working dog to pet has been a joy for the first-time “dog father,” as Cruse calls himself. “When I first got him home, he wouldn’t come out of his kennel,” he said. “But once he understood I was the one taking care of him, he knew he was home.”
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War dogs look for love after tours of duty
WTOP News
Randi Martin
August 30, 2014

WASHINGTON -- After their tour of duty ends and their military lives are over, some war dogs are just looking for love.

"These are working dogs," says Kristen Mauer, president of Mission K9 Rescue. "But some of them come home and they just want to retire. They‘re love bugs and just want to lie on the couch."

Mauer, whose organization works to find homes for military and contractor war dogs, says many families want to adopt these dogs.

"There (are) a lot of people out there that really love what these dogs have done and love what they stand for."

Many, Mauer says, feel that these dogs deserve a wonderful retirement.

The military dogs are owned by the Department of Defense. When their tour of duty is over and they are retired, the DoD offers the dogs to their handlers. Since the relationship is so strong, most are soon adopted and become members of the family.
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Soldiers reunite with Combat Service Dogs

Soldiers Reunite with Dogs They Served With in Iraq and Afghanistan
ABC News
By Arlette Saenz
Jul 23, 2014

They’re the four-legged veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan – military war dogs, doing everything from sniffing out explosive devices on the battlefield to providing companionship to soldiers during wartime.

Three of these dogs traveled to Washington, D.C., Wednesday with the same service members they served with on the battlefield in Iraq and Afghanistan, raising awareness about the need to reunite military war dogs with their handlers.

“This is my best friend. This is my partner. This is my battle buddy,” Army Staff Sgt. Jason Bos told ABC News of his dog Cila. The two partners reunited in April after serving together on nearly 100 missions in Iraq.

“Her and I deployed together, the two of us, so we moved from one base to another, and we worked with people every day we didn’t really know, so this is my friend,” Bos explained. “I wanted her back and I did whatever I could to do that.”
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Many military dogs are being left overseas (Photos)
WTOP News
By Randi Martin
July 24, 2014

WASHINGTON -- War-weary veterans look forward to being reunited with their loved ones, whether they stand on two legs or walk on four.

Yet many canine war heroes remain overseas, caught up in a protocol loophole.

"A number of dogs are already brought home once their tour of duty ends," says Scott Sowers of the American Humane Association. "However, some are retired overseas."

The American Humane Association is working to change the practice and is looking to Congress to help. Members of the organization had a briefing on Capitol Hill Wednesday.
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New Hampshire Volunteer Firefighter Killed in Afghansitan

New Hampshire Marine Among 3 Killed By IED in Afghanistan
NBC News
June 21, 2014

A New Hampshire Marine who was barred from wearing his military uniform to his high school graduation was killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan on Friday, along with two other American soldiers and a military dog, officials said.

Lance Corporal Brandon Garabrant was 19 years old. The names of the fallen soldiers have not yet been released by the military, but New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan confirmed his identity and offered condolences to the family.

“As a volunteer firefighter and dedicated Marine, Lance Corporal Garabrant was committed to serving his fellow citizens, and he was tragically taken from us far too soon,” the governor said in a Facebook post. “Our thoughts and prayers are with Lance Corporal Garabrant's family, as well as those of the other American heroes who were lost, and we will be forever grateful for his selfless service.”
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Combat Service Dog Adopted by Family of Fallen Marine

Family adopts Marine dog that was with their son when he was killed
LA Times
Tony Perry June 7, 2014

Marine dog Dino with his current handler, Sgt. Jonathan Overland, and relatives of Staff Sgt. Christopher Diaz, Dino's former handler, who was killed in Afghanistan. The Diaz family will take Dino home to El Paso.
(Tony Perry/Los Angeles Times)

CAMP PENDLETON - In a brief but poignant ceremony Saturday, a bomb-sniffing dog was declared retired and officially adopted by the family of his Marine handler who was killed in Afghanistan.

Dino, 6, a Belgian malinois, was adopted by the family of Staff Sgt. Christopher Diaz, who was 27 when he was killed in September 2011 while deployed in Helmand province.

Dino was with Diaz during the deployment but was uninjured.

He's not going to replace Christopher but he'll give us something that Christopher loved, the Marine Corps.
- Salvador Diaz

"I don't think that it will decrease any of the pain we feel," Diaz's father, Salvador Diaz, a former Marine, said of the adoption. "He's not going to replace Christopher but he'll give us something that Christopher loved, the Marine Corps."

Diaz's mother, Sandra, her voice cracking, said that, "It's going to be helpful - we'll have something to hold on to."
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Soldier's war dog located when FCN story goes viral

Soldier's war dog located when FCN story goes viral
First Coast News
Jacob Long
May 14, 2014

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A reunion could be in the works for a Georgia soldier and the dog he believes was wrongfully taken from him.

First Coast News told the story this week of U.S. Army Specialist Luke Andrukitis and his wartime companion Robbie.

Robbie is a four-year-old Belgian Malinois the military used to sniff out explosives in Afghanistan. Andrukitis, who is stationed at Fort Stewart in Hinesville, Ga., was Robbie's handler for about a year.

In a previously recorded interview, Andrukitis told FCN he and Robbie grew incredibly close.

"Literally, every waking moment you're spending with that dog, (you're) bonding because to the dog you are like this father," he said.

But a problem arose for Andrukitis and several other Ft. Stewart handlers when they returned from deployment earlier this year.

They claim the government contracted kennel, North Carolina-based K2 Solutions, adopted their canines out without their knowledge after it lost its contract with the Army.
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Six year old honored for lifetime in Air Force

Dog who served in Iraq, Afghanistan honored at Wright-Patt
Dayton Daily News
By Chris Stewart
Staff Writer
April 25, 2014

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE — Speaking next to an empty dog crate, Air Force Staff Sgt. Christopher Pritchett fought through tears Friday while remembering his one-time partner, Arko.

“Those who have called themselves dog handlers are the only people who can truly understand the bond between handlers and dogs. A bond that can’t be broken even in death,” Pritchett told those attending a memorial service for the military working dog.

Members of the 88th Security Forces Squadron at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base remembered the German shepherd as one of their own during a service Friday morning at the Base Club. About 60 people attended the memorial along with eight other military and area police dogs and their handlers.

Arko served nearly five years as a patrol and explosive detector dog at the base. Arko and Pritchett, now the squadron’s kennel master, served two overseas tours together in Iraq and Afghanistan, always side-by-side. Arko was laid to rest Feb. 16, 2014, at the base kennel after dying suddenly of a twist in his intestines. He was six.
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Florida Bomb Sniffing Dog Retires with Full Honors

Fla. bomb-sniffing military dog that saved 13-person patron in Afghanistan retires with honors
Associated Press
April 11, 2014

TAMPA, Fla. – Staff Sgt. Shannon Hutto thought his bomb sniffing dog Eddie was just being lazy when he wouldn't move from a certain spot one hot day in Afghanistan in 2012.

But Hutto then saw what Eddie smelled: a homemade bomb, partially buried in the dirt. It was six inches from Hutto's foot.

"It was a high stress moment," Hutto said.

A short time later, Eddie sniffed out another improvised explosive placed on a bridge the patrol unit was about to cross.

Eddie saved Hutto's life, the lives of a dozen patrol members and countless people in the village.

For his service, Eddie retired Friday with full military honors. The ceremony was held at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, and a few dozen soldiers turned out to cheer Eddie on.
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Bomb sniffing dog adopted by contractor he saved

Layton man injured in Afghanistan adopts 'hero' dog
Deseret News
By Emiley Morgan
Published: Saturday, March 15 201

LAYTON — On May 9, 2010, John Logie, his body full of shrapnel, was loaded into a helicopter and flown from Afghanistan to Germany after being injured by an improvised explosive device.

He said his K9 partner, Balto, watched as he was loaded up.

"He's looking at me like, 'Where are you going, Dad?'" Logie recalled.

Saturday, the same dog stared down the same man, as Logie arrived to pick up Balto from the Delta Cargo warehouse at the Salt Lake City International Airport as his new owner.

"This is my hero right here," Logie said as the dog was released from his kennel. "He saved my life multiple times and now it's time for him to go home and sit on the couch."

Logie said he began working with Balto when he went to Afghanistan in 2009. Working as a contracted handler first with the U.S. Special Forces, then the Canadian Military, the pair spent almost a year together searching for explosives and clearing the way for troops until the day Logie was injured.

"When you're over there in that kind of condition, the dog is pretty much on your hip 24/7," Logie said. "You sleep with him, live with him, eat with him… He's got a good sniffer on him. He found a lot before I got hurt."

On May 9, 2010, Logie said he and Balto were sent out to clear a compound near some grape fields where explosives were often buried. Picking up some IED residue from a nearby building, Balto pulled Logie toward the structure — and away from a powerful "primary" IED.

Logie hit a secondary IED, which sent shrapnel through his left arm and leg, parts of his right leg and arm and damaged his hearing. But he believes hitting the less powerful explosive spared his life.
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Wounded K-9 Team Returns Home from Afghanistan

Wounded K-9 Team Returns Home
Army.mil/News
by Mrs. Melissa K Buckley
Feb 07, 2014

A specialized search dog handler and his canine partner, both recovering from gunshot wounds during a battle in Afghanistan, returned home to Fort Leonard Wood Friday, greeted by their unit comrades of the 4th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade.

Sgt. Eric Goldenthal, 67th Engineer Detachment, Canine Company, 5th Engineer Battalion, 4th MEB, and his specialized search dog, Corky, both walked off the aircraft on their own power.

The team, one on crutches and the other with a paw bandage, were flown home aboard a C-130 Hercules transport aircraft that landed at the post's Forney Air Field.

Both were shot seconds apart during an attack, Jan. 19, in the Afghanistan Kapisa province, as they were leading the way for Green Berets.

Goldenthal said he wasn't worried about his injury -- his mind was on one thing, his battle-buddy and best friend, Corky.

"I just kept asking if he would be alright. I was worried about his leg," said Goldenthal who also got hit in the leg.

Goldenthal and Corky have been teammates for more than a year. They left Fort Leonard Wood in September for an overseas assignment with Special Forces -- a mission Goldenthal volunteered for.
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Sgt. Erica McRell awarded Bronze Star for heroism

Dyess honors 'two warriors' with medals for Afghanistan service
Reporter News
By Christopher Collins
Posted January 24, 2014

PHOTO BY Joy Lewis/Reporter-News
Brig. Gen. Glen VanHerck, 7th Bomb Wing Commander, Sgt. Erica McRell, and her service dog, Jonny, begin the ceremony to honor McRell with a Bronze Star on Friday at Dyess Air Force Base.

For U.S. military personnel serving in Afghanistan, danger can loom around every corner.

That became abundantly clear to Sgts. Erica McRell and Rafael Rhodes, two Dyess Air Force Base personnel who were awarded medals at a Friday event at the base for their bravery in the line of duty.

“We’re going to honor two warriors,” said Brig. Gen. Glen VanHerck, 7th Bomb Wing commander.

McRell was awarded with the Bronze Star for leading a team of embedded Army Special Forces members through hostile Afghan territory in search of buried improvised explosive devices.

“She was living out in the countryside, sleeping in tents every night, taking care of business,” VanHerck said. “She’s getting the Bronze Star for heroism.”

While leading the team, McRell and her canine partner, Jonny, located more than 50 IEDs. U.S. troops and Afghan civilians are often targets of these devices.

“She saved many, many lives,” VanHerck said. “We appreciate your service.”

Rhodes was also honored after his encounter with an IED — but in his case, the bomb exploded underneath the military vehicle he was traveling in as part of a convoy. After the bomb exploded, Rhodes and other members of the convoy came under enemy fire.
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Hero combat dog killed by coward hit and run driver

Canine veteran killed by vehicle
IN EAST HELENA
GERMAN SHEPHERD HAD TWO TOURS IN IRAQ, 10 SECRET SERVICE MISSIONS
Independent Record
By SANJAY TALWANI
October 4, 2013

A retired military dog with two tours in Iraq and experience with the U.S. Secret Service was killed Monday in an apparent hit-and-run outside East Helena.

Natz, a 7-year-old German shepherd, had just retired from the military in May after five years in explosives detection.

“This was a very special dog, an incredibly special dog.” said his owner, Rachel Weidner. “He protected a lot of people.”

Monday morning in the predawn hours, Natz got loose — for the first time ever — from his home on Old U.S. Route 12 just east of East Helena, said Weidner. He had the appropriate identification tag, she said.

She and her husband searched for him, and she eventually left for work but returned a few hours later, around 8 a.m., to find a lengthy splatter of blood and some of Natz’s fur on the road about 300 feet from her home.

She contacted local police and learned that his remains had been taken to the Lewis and Clark Humane Society.
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Disabled veteran kicked off boardwalk because of service dog

Disabled veteran kicked off boardwalk because of service dog
NBC
Posted By Matt Alba
Posted: Aug 09, 2013

NORTH WILDWOOD
A disabled U.S. Army veteran, who served our country for 19 years, says he was kicked off the North Wildwood boardwalk last night, simply for having his service dog by his side.

Jared Goering served 1 tour in Iraq, 2 in Afghanistan, and spent 19 years as an active member of the Army. Jared said, "I served from 1993 to 2012." He then told NBC40 he couldn't sleep Thursday night because he felt so disrespected by a North Wildwood police officer.

Goering said, "Just like any veteran with disabilities with a service dog, to come back and be harassed and shown no respect, it upset me - it really bothered me. I was up most of the night thinking about it."

A North Wildwood police officer issued Jared and his wife a summons because of the dog. Goering said, “I expected to get more respect from him because of the jobs that we both have to do."

"He mockingly asked if all veterans get service dogs," said Jared’s wife, Sally Goering, “his dog is medically necessary and he is a service dog."

In 2009, Jared was serving in Afghanistan when his vehicle was blown up by IEDs, twice, within 36 hours. Now, Jared uses his 3-year-old service dog, Gator, short for Navigator, to help him walk, and to get up and down stairs.
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For these soldiers, sadness upon returning from Afghanistan

For these soldiers, sadness upon returning from Afghanistan
3BCT dog handlers face a hard parting as a reality of coming home from deployment
Jun. 11, 2013
Written by
By. Spc. Brian Smith-Dutton
3rd Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs

At Campbell Army Air Field, Cpl. Daniel Crean, a military police officer assigned to Headquarters, Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team 'Rakkasans,' 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), with his military working dog, Misa, exit an aircraft after their nine month deployment to Afghanistan. US ARMY/SPC. BRIAN SMITH-DUTTON

FORT CAMPBELL, KY. — Returning 3rd Brigade Combat Team “Rakkasan” dog handlers recently faced a tough moment upon returning to Fort Campbell, having to part ways with their canine battle buddies after 11 months of closely working and living together.

The soldiers and their dogs flew back from Afghanistan together on May 23, exiting the aircraft for a brief ceremony before a hard moment.

"It was kind of a long flight back," said Army Staff Sgt. Matthew Phillips, an infantryman assigned to Headquarters, Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team "Rakkasans," 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). "It was quiet because everyone knew they were going to have to give their dogs up once they got back."

"We got off the plane and spent the last 15 minutes we had with our dogs before they were loaded onto a truck," said Army Spc. Daniel Crean, a military police officer assigned to Headquarters, Headquarters Company, 3rd Special Troops Battalion. "That was the last time I saw him."
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Hundreds of crosses honor Floridians Sacrifice for Memorial Day

This morning I was went to Oviedo for the Memorial Cross Tribute to the fallen members of the military from Florida. Seeing the rows of memorials for those we lost in Iraq and Afghanistan would cause anyone to shed tears. I had quite a few of them. This is on display until Memorial Day.

Oviedo Historical Society Historical Center
200 West Broadway
Oviedo, FL 32765
407-971-5612

Oviedo Florida Memorial for Fallen

Oviedo Historical Society

Floridians sacrifice in Iraq and Afghanistan

Created by Jim Vanderbleek

Memorial on display through Memorial Day

Oldest Floridian Lt. Col. Peter Winston

In memory of the service dogs

Youngest Floridian Pfc. Charles M. Sims

For those who lost their battles back home.

Medal of Honor Staff. Sgt. Robert J. Miller from Oviedo

For all of the men and women serving this country in their place.

Monument honors military service dogs

Monument honors military service dogs
By Sue Manning
The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Oct 30, 2012

LOS ANGELES — The act of Congress is in the books, the bills are paid, the sculptures are being cast, and one of the biggest parades in the world will start a glory tour and countdown to dedication.

The first national monument to pay tribute to military dogs will be unveiled in California in just two months. The U.S. Working Dog Teams National Monument will honor every dog that has served in combat since World War II.

Some cities, cemeteries and military bases across the country already have such memorials. But none has been elevated to national monument level, where it will be in the company of the Statue of Liberty, Yosemite National Park and Mount Rushmore National Memorial.

In 2000, John Burnam, a 65-year-old veteran military dog handler, wrote a book called “Dog Tags of Courage.” A year later, he got an email from a reader wondering why there were no national monuments to the dogs of war.

In “Dog Tags” and a 2008 book, “A Soldier’s Best Friend,” Burnam wrote about his time with the Army’s 44th Scout Dog Platoon when he was in Vietnam in 1967 and 1968.
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Vietnam Vet Run draws large crowds

Vietnam Vet Run draws large crowds
August 18, 2012
AMANDA WILCOX
DAILY NEWS STAFF

More than 200 bikers signed up to ride at the Vietnam Vet Run Saturday, but organizers said before the run that they expected even more to show up at the last minute.

“We’ve got riders that just got here that rode 1,200 miles to be here,” Pat Walker, an organizer of the event, said just 10 minutes before kickstands were scheduled to go up. “I’m so impressed and I’m very, very grateful to everybody for coming and being a part of it.”

Walker said the turnout for the run was incredible, and they’re pretty sure they’ll meet their goal and be able to complete the Vietnam Veteran Memorial near downtown Jacksonville this year, but they won’t know for sure until it’s all over Sunday evening.

“A lot of people want us to do it anyway (next year),” Walker said. “Because this is a place where the brothers can get together and just ride.”

Second to the run, the traveling Vietnam War Dog Memorial drew more attention than any of the other booths. With hundreds of kennel signs strewn across the floor to resemble just a fraction of the dogs lost during the war, people couldn’t help but stop and stare.
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