From the NFRW Armed Services Committee
On 13 March we celebrate the National K9 Birthday and honor military working dogs. These dogs are loyal, intelligent, and hard-working. The US officially recognized our K9 friends as “war dogs” in 1942 but in reality, dogs have been with our military since we declared independence - earlier dogs were used as mascots. Today’s military working dogs receive specialized training in detection, depending on what they will be used for: narcotics or explosives; all dogs receive the same patrol training. Each working dog receives a National Stock Number to be able to track them; similar to each service member having a military ID number. Working dogs are NOT considered equipment.
Below are short blurbs on three K9s that made amazing contributions:
Sergeant Stubby, Army, 102nd Infantry, 26th (Yankee) Division, 1917 — 1919
Sergeant Stubby (pictured), not an official working dog, deployed “secretly” with the 102nd to France. He served in 17 battles for approximately 18 months. Stubby became an emotional support dog to the 102nd as they hugged and petted him after experiencing constant shelling. But beyond that, he would go onto the battlefield after hostilities and find wounded soldiers, staying with them until medics arrived. Stubby earned a Purple Heart in April 1918, for a wound in the foreleg by an exploding grenade.
Nemo A534, Air Force Sentry Dog, 377th Security Police, 1966 — 1967
Nemo was a sentry dog in Vietnam, trained to warn their handlers of the approach or presence of strangers and utilized for guarding vital installations. Nemo was known for “smelling” enemy forces that had slipped onto bases. Nemo fell victim to a bullet, which entered under his right eye and exited through his mouth; he continued to attack other intruders while guarding his wounded handler until help arrived. Nemo returned to the U.S. with honors and was the first sentry dog to be officially retired from active service.
Lucca K548, US Marine Corps, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force Camp Pendleton War Dogs, 2006 — 2012
Lucca specialized in detecting arms, ammunition, and explosives. She participated in 400 successful missions protecting the lives of thousands of troops during her six years of service - no soldier or Marine died on her patrols. She deployed twice to Iraq and once to Afghanistan during her six-year career. On 23 March 2012, Lucca suffered a serious wound while leading a U.S. Army Special Forces patrol in the Helmand Province in Afghanistan. After locating one IED, a second boobytrapped IED exploded. The Army veterinarians amputated her front left leg. In 10 days she was walking on three legs. Lucca was officially retired in May 2012 and spent her final years relaxing with her original handler.
Ways to observe National K9 Veterans Day:
- Research and learn more about their service, history, and training.
- Attend a ceremony honoring the working dogs in military units and working dogs across the country.
- Use #NationalK9VeteransDay to post on social med