

Some of you may know that I was an Army Dog Handler in Vietnam, 1972. I was injured and came home. Prince, my partner, was euthanized in August of '72. At the time, K9s were classified as equipment. Of the 4,000+ K9s that deployed to Vietnam, only 204 came home. The efforts made by Vietnam Dog Handlers over the years inspired the "Never Again" movement, which has resulted in the military reclassifying our K9 partners as soldiers. As such, they will be brought home after deployment and put up for adoption at the end of their service life if the animal qualifies (not too sick or vicious). March 13th was declared K9 Veteran's Day. Last Saturday, the Military Working Dog Heritage Museum Facebook page hosted a series of events held in honor of our furry compadres. I invite you to visit them and learn about our community. Use the button below to visit their website, or visit their Facebook Page here: https://www.facebook.com/mwdheritagemuseum. Military Working Dogs have been a genuinely colossal force multiplier for our troops abroad and here at home. The following is a tribute to my partner, Prince 16x5, without whom I would not have come home whole. WOOF, Buddy! See you over the bridge. K9 leads the Way!