Day to honor our loved
war and service dogs
THE K9 Corps has been working alongside our service men and women for many years Beginning on 13 March 1942, the Quartermaster Corps ran the Army's K-9 Corps and undertook to change these new recruits into good fighting soldiers. The readily-used phrase K-9 Corps became a popular title for the War Dog Program in the 1940s and '50s, and found wide informal usage both inside and outside the military.
The CIA established its own K-9 Corps in 1991. Since then, the number of
K-9s and their human partners has increased and the corps has plans for more growth. The Corps’ main responsibility is to protect the CIA and its employees. All of the canines are federal police officers and are assigned their own police badge. What makes the K-9 Corps so special is the dogs’ ability to sniff out 19,000 explosive scents, which makes them ideal explosive detection officers. Due to their extensive training and unique skills, the CIA K-9 Corps often works with other law enforcement teams. They assist the US Park Police, the Fairfax County (Virginia) Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The K-9s and their handlers also travel regularly to other locations in USA and abroad.
Dogs continued to serve the armed forces with distinction in conflict. In the Korean War the Army used about 1500 dogs, primarily for sentry duty. During the Vietnam War about 4000 dogs were employed. Of these, 281 were officially killed in action. Most recently dogs were deployed to the Persian Gulf War. The oldest memorial to War Dogs in the United States is at the Hartsdale (New York) Pet Cemetery. This memorial was dedicated in 1922 to War Dogs used in World War I. In 1994 a War Dog memorial was dedicated at the U.S. Marine Corps War Dog Cemetery on Guam to honor the dogs that served in the Pacific Theater during World War II.
A nationwide celebration of the United States K9 Corps will be held on March 13, 2008 - March 13, 1942, is the organization's official birthday. There is a desire in all states to honor our beloved and mostly forgotten war dogs. The effort has only just begun, but already the Dog Museum and groups like the Doberman Pinscher Club of America, the US Army 101st Airborne Association and the ASPCA are participating, with many more to come.
Just saying that dogs are veterans is an awesome thing to say about them, so any like-minded clubs, organisations, groups or individuals are invited to join with us. If you desire to honor the service of the K9 Corps, or would like additional information, please contact: Joseph J. White, 506 South Third Avenue, Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250. Ph: 904-241-6051. Email: Joethedogtrainer@aol.com
