STORY OF A DOG

e through this portal pass some of the best war dogs in the world and I'm proud of the honor to be among them from kennels and from private owners we came to serve with the Coast Guard and although we dogs have been going to war since the days of ancient Egypt I must confess I was homesick and nervous as my crate was open for me to come out I couldn't help wondering what kind of a dog's life it was going to be well first thing they did was to have us processed in pretty much the same manner as any 1A selecte I had to be at least 24 Ines high at the shoulder a cinch for me some young punks too small to make it kept watching us wishing they were bigger I wasn't too worried about the weight requirement either no less than 55 lb and I came within the age bracket too from 14 months to 3 and 1/2 years old the small stuff hung around hoping that somebody might start a kindergarten I guess physical fitness was more important than a pedigree just like with humans but of course we didn't get exemptions for dependence then what made us really feel like GIS was getting our own service numbers in fact we got the whole works including individual photographs for identification files and every time the camera clicked the small fry Fred With Envy there were some fine looking guys in my outfit and gals too like this one not bad huh I kept wondering if she'd notice me there was plenty of competition in the crew one of the most important things was being assigned to our handlers for from this moment on our lives and our missions would blend us as one as we walked back to our quarters each of us prayed inwardly that we would make the grade that we would not fail or disappoint these men whom we would ass serve that we would be worthy of the long tiring patience demanding weeks of work they would give us and so we met each other and became friends and tried to show that we considered one another to be the best of all of them and a strong bond of confidence was cemented between us no wonder the juveniles were jealous we were more than mascots we were going to be war dogs of the Coast Guard at Chow Time the handlers lined up to get our specially prepared rations with our appetite sharpened we were hungry enough to eat anything but this chow smelled extra good and it tasted even better Junior just drooled for some they sure knew how to feed us and they knew do everything there was to learn about our care our grooming and our welfare as experts instructed our handlers in every detail drawing on their past experience and familiarity with dogs but we had things to learn too in the basic training area we would to be taught the first requirement of all war dogs simple obedience commands spoken with the accents of men from different sections of the country as they drill dogs of different breeds and colors all dedicated to becoming indispensable assets to the coast guard for overseas Duty so they put us through the routine until we caught on drilling into us things we never dreamed of in civilian [Music] life training us to the Split Second Obedience of every command our brains and Brawn conditioned to coordination in combat until we mastered every phase of Elementary training [Music] by the time we were ready for Advanced Training we obeyed only the commands of our own trainer and when we were told to stay put brother we stayed whether we wanted to or not every time we mastered a difficult part of our schooling we could sense the satisfaction of our handlers that their efforts were bringing results through it all they conditioned our muscles with canine calisthenics after we learned how to take the hurdles it was just another step until I was taking them alone and carrying a small object in my mouth for good measure pretty soon I was really tops at it wall scaling was another important part part of our training and a canine had to be in fine condition as well as determined to make it jumping over barb wire wasn't fun if you didn't clear it but learning to crawl under the stuff was even more rugged to prepare us for the tough Tangled terrain of the Pacific an agitator had no soft job as we learned to attack the forward thrust arm with lightning in our spring and all our power behind it when we bit the padded arm every useful tactic I I learned to execute efficiently so as to make myself a valuable partner in any emergency where I could help a vital part of our training included the use of live gunfire which accustomed us to the sound of weapons fired at close [Music] proximity and we were conditioned to the distractions of many unfamiliar sounds of noises [Music] [Applause] under simulated battle Maneuvers through smoke fill terrain we rushed the enemy with our handlers exploding dynamite in sham skirmishes keyed us to battle [Music] conditions the great day arrived graduation we had passed exacting requirements and were now qualified to perform a multitude of combat duties proudly we passed in review now we were ready for active duty overseas ready with our handlers to take our share of hardships without a whimper ready to prove our worth Under Fire as the ship stood out to seea we proved to be good sailors salty dogs of the Coast Guard it wasn't long after we arrived at our station in the Pacific before we were assigned to active duty and I was eager for the chance to prove the value of our training as we received orders to go out on patrol and locate snipers in the area this was the chance for me to help where human eyesight might fail and sounds might be too light to be heard this was where my Sharp eyes and ears would be needed where my acute sense of smell and hearing would detect a no matter where he was hiding as we followed the jungle likee Trail all my perceptions were sharpened to sort out every Sight and Sound and smell to follow every trail that might lead to the enemy's con sealed [Music] position the further we penetrated the more cautiously we moved for in this theater the Japs use the jungle tangle like a weapon a sniper could hide any place in here the only way to get him was to go in and find him and it was on one of these patrols that my training had to prove itself