Vietnam war dogs

[Alysser]

I apologize in advance if this subject is in the wrong section. I wasn't sure of where to put it, but since it may be a bit controversial I chose here.

Anyway, yesterday I went on a class trip to the Vietnam War Era memorial in Homdel, NJ. It was a really nice place, but one thing got me a bit steamed, and rather confused. They had just added a new War dog memorial into the place, and the tour guide said that about 7,000 dogs went to Vietnam during the war. He said that they couldn't be brought back to the US because of disease/illness. Now, I understand this completely. Then he goes on to say "most of these dogs were eaten..." and that's something I don't get. These dogs are heros, why didn't the US ensure that they weren't eaten? It just doesn't seem fair at all, that they serve their country and see a horrible fate.

I also wanted to know, do they still leave dogs in the countries of war today? I really don't understand the whole process, and thought someone could explain to me.

[Pembroke_Corgi]

I'm not sure if dogs in service are brought back today or not...I know there are a lot of quarantine laws when bringing in an animal from another country- perhaps it is too costly to pay for that. It is sad to think about all the poor dogs that saved lives, and yet were abandoned. :(

[wombat2u2004]

I apologize in advance if this subject is in the wrong section. I wasn't sure of where to put it, but since it may be a bit controversial I chose here.

Anyway, yesterday I went on a class trip to the Vietnam War Era memorial in Homdel, NJ. It was a really nice place, but one thing got me a bit steamed, and rather confused. They had just added a new War dog memorial into the place, and the tour guide said that about 7,000 dogs went to Vietnam during the war. He said that they couldn't be brought back to the US because of disease/illness. Now, I understand this completely. Then he goes on to say "most of these dogs were eaten..." and that's something I don't get. These dogs are heros, why didn't the US ensure that they weren't eaten? It just doesn't seem fair at all, that they serve their country and see a horrible fate.

I also wanted to know, do they still leave dogs in the countries of war today? I really don't understand the whole process, and thought someone could explain to me.

I don't know about being eaten....that's a new one on me.
We had a dog called Caesar....and he was great, warned us of a few potential danger spots, so got us out of a lot of hot water, ambushes etc.
He could smell the Vietcong out hundreds of yards away. He was also credited with two confirmed kills....confirmed that is !!!!! When he was put down (because he couldn't return to Australia....diseases etc)...he was given a very decent burial, complete with battle honours.....that's how we treated our dogs....not sure what the US guys used to do tho.
Wombat

[Catty1]

Not to excuse it at all...but perhaps many of the people were literally starving?

I know in some Asian countries, like China, dogs are sold as food animals.

I don't like it either.

[wombat2u2004]

Not to excuse it at all...but perhaps many of the people were literally starving?

I know in some Asian countries, like China, dogs are sold as food animals.

I don't like it either.

I don't think that's the case....starving people or not....those dogs were treated kinda special, as a lot of us relied very heavily on their senses.
I would like to know that they were ALL given good burials...as ours were.
I'd hazard a guess that whoever put the rumour around that they were eaten, was just being malicious.
Wombat

[Catty1]

What I meant was that, perhaps, many Vietnamese people were starving after the war.

[Marigold2]

I cannot believe that any soldier who relied on a dog for safety would let him by eaten. Either before during or after the war.

[wombat2u2004]

What I meant was that, perhaps, many Vietnamese people were starving after the war.

Hmmmm....could be. But units who had dogs usually put them down themselves, and I'm pretty sure the bodies wer'nt just dumped out where the locals could get them. ESPECIALLY the guys who handled the dogs....they really loved those dogs....I couldn't see one of the dog handlers EVER letting one of their own be eaten.
As for starvation........well....not really........never seen any of that there.
But yes...I know Chinese people do eat dog....when I was in Malaysia, I was offered it....naturally I refused....LOL. I ate snake tho, and jellyfish....they were different LOL.
Wom

[wombat2u2004]

I cannot believe that any soldier who relied on a dog for safety would let him by eaten. Either before during or after the war.

That's true....and it never happened to our dog. Anyway, those dogs were treated as soldiers....even had a rank and service number.
I missed ours when I finally come home....he was a great fella.
Wom

[Freedom]

According to this site, some were turned over to the South Vietnamese Army. Maybe those were the ones who were eaten?

http://www.uswardogs.org/id32.html
If you google Vietnam War dogs, no quotes, lots of hits:

http://community-2.webtv.net/Hahn-50thAP-K9/K9History6/

What happens to war dogs after a war? See here:
http://dogsinthenews.com/issues/0202/articles/020227a.htm

Now, I am not sure that tour guide was accurate. Hmmmmm........

[wombat2u2004]

According to this site, some were turned over to the South Vietnamese Army. Maybe those were the ones who were eaten?

http://www.uswardogs.org/id32.html
If you google Vietnam War dogs, no quotes, lots of hits:

http://community-2.webtv.net/Hahn-50thAP-K9/K9History6/

What happens to war dogs after a war? See here:
http://dogsinthenews.com/issues/0202/articles/020227a.htm

Now, I am not sure that tour guide was accurate. Hmmmmm........

Yes....I am in agreeance with that. If they were handed to the ARVN, God only knows what fate befell them.
Wom

[I_luv_rusty]

Alyssa, you must have misheard. I don't remember hearing that when I went, so I looked it up this is what it said.

How Many Dogs Returned Home?

Only 204 dogs exited Vietnam during the 10-year period. Some
remained in the Pacific, and some returned to the United States. None returned to
civilian life. So what happened to the dogs that remained? Most where
euthanized and the others where turned over to the ARVN (South Vietnamese
Army).

[dukedogsmom]

I saw a documentary on Animal Planet a few years ago. One of the guys that was over there and couldn't bring back his dog founded this site, if I remember correctly. I even got an email back from him. It was just heartbreaking to see those grown men crying because they had to leave the dogs behind. I hate the way they were treated like property. So very sad.
http://www.war-dogs.com/

[wombat2u2004]

Some of ours were given to expats and people like that who stayed on living there, others were given to newer units to use, and some....very sadly, were put down.
But I don't think for a moment that any of them were treated as just property....those dogs were mates to the troops, and when the soldiers had to come home after their tour, then they couldn't bring them back, so they lost their mates.....so sad.
Wom

[IRescue452]

Most of those dogs couldn't be brought back to civilian life anyway. They'd be potentially dangerous. I know even the belgian shepherd police dogs we boarded last summer can only be retired to their handlers because they are dangerous.
I don't see what your problem is with eating them, remember these people just got pulverized by a pointless war and many didn't have much food to begin with. If the dogs were going to be killed, they might as well serve a noble purpose in the end.
Today, I don't see too many soldiers caring. After all, so many animals are abandoned in dumpsters the day before the soldiers ship out to Iraq.

[wombat2u2004]

Most of those dogs couldn't be brought back to civilian life anyway. They'd be potentially dangerous. I know even the belgian shepherd police dogs we boarded last summer can only be retired to their handlers because they are dangerous.
I don't see what your problem is with eating them, remember these people just got pulverized by a pointless war and many didn't have much food to begin with. If the dogs were going to be killed, they might as well serve a noble purpose in the end.
Today, I don't see too many soldiers caring. After all, so many animals are abandoned in dumpsters the day before the soldiers ship out to Iraq.

Hmmmm.....nice to know that the full extent of your so called noble purpose in life is eating dogs.
Wom

[cyber-sibes]

Happened in WW II. too. Hundreds of dogs went and never came back. As for the question of eating dogs, I'm not going to judge what's on a starving man's plate. Their culture is very different than ours, it's hard for us to understand sometimes. Still, I hope none of the brave dogs of war ended up as dinner.

[IRescue452]

Nice job twisting my words around wombat :p that's very PT of you

[wombat2u2004]

Nice job twisting my words around wombat :p that's very PT of you

Awwww...thats ok. Being nice to people is what I do.
Wom

[Alysser]

Jenna, trust me, that is exactly what I heard. Thanks for the link, dukedogsmom, it's very useful. I'm looking at it right now.

[Lady's Human]

BTW, in response to the blanket comment that "Soldiers don't care", BULL!

Blanket statements about a group of people who are a cross section of American society are inaccurate at best. Most soldiers care very much about what happens to family members, and that includes any pets they may have.

In some cases, however, they run out of help. Shelters and kennels don't want to provide long term care (1yr +/-) for an animal, sometimes families aren't in any position to help out, and that leaves a soldier with damned few options when it comes to taking care of pets while they are deployed.

I'd be interested in where you came across this info to begin with, as there are few if any permanent party personnel deploying out of FT McCoy, only reservists and national guard troops who are not allowed to have pets while they are in pre-deployment training.

[dukedogsmom]

Yeah, soldiers don't care (http://www.amazon.com/Baghdad-Love-Marine-Named-Lava/dp/1592289800)
Obviously you are very unaware. View that documentary on the war dogs and look at that site I posted. "Soldiers that don't care" don't break down in tears over a dog they couldn't bring back home with them. Before making statements like that, do some research.

[wombat2u2004]

Most of those dogs couldn't be brought back to civilian life anyway. They'd be potentially dangerous. I know even the belgian shepherd police dogs we boarded last summer can only be retired to their handlers because they are dangerous.
I don't see what your problem is with eating them, remember these people just got pulverized by a pointless war and many didn't have much food to begin with. If the dogs were going to be killed, they might as well serve a noble purpose in the end.
Today, I don't see too many soldiers caring. After all, so many animals are abandoned in dumpsters the day before the soldiers ship out to Iraq.

Soldiers and war dogs together in war share a very important bond, and that is one of mateship and reliance on each other.....so any soldier wouldn't want to see or know that their mate was eaten.
As for your post in general, I find it hard to accept that it was anything other than your obvious disgust for war and the military.
Soooooooo....how about you save the world your way.....and we'll save it ours.....k ????
Wombat

[wombat2u2004]

Jenna, trust me, that is exactly what I heard. Thanks for the link, dukedogsmom, it's very useful. I'm looking at it right now.

I don't think that anyone is disputing what you heard mate....I'm sure that sort of stuff goes on all of the time.....some people like the keeper of that memorial, tend to exaggerate to impress people....and it affects people like yourself.....so it is good that you have found the truth here in PT.
Thanx for posting this thread....it is a subject very close to my heart.
Wom