What happened to the dogs after the Vietnam War?
In a decision that remains controversial to this day, the Department of Defense classified the dogs as equipment, and most were left behind — transferred to the army of South Vietnam, systematically euthanized, or simply abandoned. Only around 200 made it home to “retire” in peacetime.
Why did they leave dogs in Vietnam?
Canines were classified as “surplus equipment” and were left behind when US forces exited Vietnam. Of the thousands of canines who served, it’s estimated less than 200 made it back to the states. The rest were abandoned, euthanized, or given to South Vietnamese military and police.
How many dogs were lost in the Vietnam War?
Only 204 of the dogs sent to Vietnam made it back to the States, or were reassigned to peaceful areas of the Pacific, in the war years of 1964-75, according to the U.S. War Dog Association. About 350 were killed, says Richard Cunningham, a sentry dog handler during the war, in a piece for The New York Times.
What happens to war dogs when they retire?
Since 2000, a military working dog retired from duty can now be adopted by a civilian or law enforcement personnel though most find a permanent home with their handlers. The handler-dog bond is strong as soldiers put their lives in their canine’s paws every day. No dog is left behind.
In a decision that remains controversial to this day, the Department of Defense classified the dogs as equipment, and most were left behind — transferred to the army of South Vietnam, systematically euthanized, or simply abandoned. Only around 200 made it home to “retire” in peacetime.
How many dogs that served in Vietnam came back home?
Of the thousands of canines who served, it’s estimated less than 200 made it back to the states. The rest were abandoned, euthanized, or given to South Vietnamese military and police.
What kind of dog was major in the Vietnam War?
And, as one of Reichenbach’s fellow Marines would tell him later, when this new handler went to meet his new dog, Major was still covered in Reichenbach’s blood. Reichenbach was paired with Major, a Great Dane-Shepherd mix, when he arrived in Vietnam, soon after the dog’s first handler was killed.
What happened to major the Marine dog handler in Vietnam?
Unlike most of the other Marine dog handlers who had been sent to Vietnam in 1966, Reichenbach hadn’t trained with Major before deploying. Instead he had been paired up with the dog once he arrived in country. The handler Major had come with to Vietnam had been killed a few weeks before Reichenbach arrived.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewwu4nVGu-8