This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
Shepherd Dog serving in the
Explosives detection dog training
Vietnam confl ict along side
Offi cer Eugene Brown of the
29th Infantry Division. “I fi rst
met Bandit a month before
we were stationed out just
North of Ho Chi Minh city”
explained Eugene.
“He was a very alert dog, and
one incident in particular led
me never to doubt him. We
were scouting a convoy down
a dirty track; I was at the front
with Bandit and I had about eight guys During the war in Vietnam, the American
behind me, two of them with dogs. Bandit government was criticised by the army’s
hit the fl oor giving his usual signal. So dog handlers for treating the dogs as
we all hit the fl oor and one of the guys ‘equipment’. Dogs would be assigned
from the back went forward with his dog to handlers during military service and
to sweep the road. He gave the all clear many would be sent out to serve. Stories
so we started to move forward. Inwardly, of soldiers being forced to leave their
I was disappointed with Bandit for giving dogs behind in the war zones to continue
a false signal, I thought it was his fi rst big service until either the war ended or they
mistake. All of a sudden there was a huge were killed, caused severe distress to
bang as the sky lit up and I was on the certain American service men. Some even
fl oor. The guy who had gone up ahead refused to return to their families unless
had triggered a landmine. I could hear gun they could take their dogs, in many cases
fi re too but I couldn’t get up. dogs to whom they owed their life.
I could feel bandit pulling me back to Although dogs have been infl uential in
where we had come from but I struggled our wars, wars have also had an effect
to go up ahead to return fi re. By triggering on the development of dogs. German
the land mine we had given away our Shepherd Dogs are often referred to
positions, so we needed to return fi re. I as ‘Alsatians’ (the breed originated in
could hear one of the guy’s radioing for Alsace). Although never offi cially known
the QRT (Quick Response Team). I got by this name, the Americans adopted
onto my feet and Bandit dragged me the moniker for political reasons during
by the leash about 100 feet back down the two World Wars. During times of
the road we had come from. Suddenly, confl ict, Americans would always try to
another bang went off, this time it was disassociate themselves from anything
a grenade, and it landed just up ahead that has even the most tenuous link to the
of where I had been when I was on the enemy. Much the same way they changed
ground. I got into a position where I could Frankfurters to ‘Hotdogs’ and French Fries
return fi re, but I kept thinking that if Bandit To ‘Freedom Fries’.
had not pulled me back, I would have
been on top of the grenade.”
Continued On The Next Page
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50
Produced with Yudu - www.yudu.com