Something Just for Fun ~ PARADOGS!

[sicario_soldado]

I was lookin' for some snap shots I took during the Civil War...couldn't find 'em...must of lost 'em in the last move. 😀

But I did come across some of my favorite dog images. These are images I've used in the past to help I.D. canine field equipment. I hope they put a smile on your faces! This first one is Jeff and his ground crew, circa 1920, part of early parachute studies. I think Jeff had well over a hundred jumps before he had a chute malfunction.

This is Salvo, WW II era ~

 This is Trix and her ground crew, also circa WW II ~

And lastly is Lobo, a true Devil Dog, Vietnam era ~

Canine field gear is one the hardest military items to find bar none!

[maxine*j]

Great stuff!  Thanks for sharing.  

It is such a change for the good that the military now lets the dogs' handlers, and others, adopt MWDs when the dogs' careers end.   Ask any of the men in those photos if the dogs were mere "equipment," to be disposed of as "surplus to requirements" once their duty was done. 

We inch along, but we humans are improving as a species, I think.  Maybe some day we'll even be as good as dogs seem to think we are.   😊

[Anonymous]

♪♪♪ How fast does the doggie in the wind go? ♪♪♪

[Anonymous]

Best dog for the job: Airedale Terrier 😊

[sicario_soldado]

Your very Welcome. I can tell you for sure that these Veterans would rather give me the uniform off their back versus sell their dog's collar! My best War Dog story came from my Grandmother. She knew a couple that sent their German Shepard off to WW II when the government called. He was a sentry dog protecting bases and installations. After he returned from the war and for the remainder of his life he would walk the fence line of their property twice a day for an hour or so each time. And not just walk but stop at each corner or gate, sit for a moment, then stand and then move on. Tex never forgot his training.

[maxine*j]

Tex never forgot his training, and yet he was quite capable of returning to civilian life.  Most MWDs are.   

That's why the policy of either killing them at the end of their service or abandoning them in place as "equipment surplus to needs," which became the standard, was so horrifying.  Of about 4,000 that dogs served in Vietnam, a handful were reassigned to bases in the Pacific and the fewer than 200 who came home were mostly sneaked back, against regulations.   

But, then, the mounted cavalry ended with the slaughter by machine gun of thousands of horses.  

Things are better now, they truly are.

[sicario_soldado]

A terrible, heartless policy that will never return. The WW II system was very special and will never happen again. The old policy also contributes to the lack of original items that survived the era. Worse than surplus, the dogs were handled like 'turn-ins', the step before items become surplus.

Also in the 'Nam Airborne became Air Assault and the dogs started jumpin' out of helicopters. Jobs for the K-9s were expanded to more roles in the field and we start seeing more new dogs like the Black Lab for tracking.

And then there is this guy. I have him noted as a USMC Scout Dog, but anyone know what type of dog he is?

Maybe a mix? Thanks.

[maxine*j]

The dog might well be a mix.  Or, he might  be a Malinois, a breed that looks like a smaller, lighter GSD and is often black.

[sicario_soldado]

That's the one, I think this guy is just a little extra thin from being in the bush too long.

We collect to remember...our family...our friends...and our dogs...we promise to never forget!

UuhRah!

[maxine*j]

Not military, but...  In Italy, they found that Newfoundlands, the world's premier water rescue dogs, can be trained to jump by themselves from helicopters.  

For those unfamiliar with the breed:  Newfoundlands have saved many a human life.  They instinctively go after a human in trouble in the water.  If you're flailing in the water and there's a Newfoundland nearby, he needs no training at all to jump in, swim to you, and let you grab his fur so he can tow you to shore.  They have webbed paws, an oily and nearly waterproof coat, huge lung capacity, and incredible strength.  They can swim against waves, currents, and tides, and they can swim for miles, towing a human.