Vietnam war dogs

**Alysser** · 04-11-2007, 09:05 PM

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** · 04-11-2007, 09:13 PM

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** · 04-11-2007, 09:14 PM

Originally Posted by Maltese_Love

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** · 04-11-2007, 09:19 PM

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** · 04-11-2007, 09:31 PM

Originally Posted by 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.

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** · 04-11-2007, 11:10 PM

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

**Marigold2** · 04-11-2007, 11:18 PM

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** · 04-12-2007, 02:40 AM

Originally Posted by Catty1

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