Sunday, April 17, 2016

People with guns collection # 95


NOT TO BE PUBLISHED PRIOR TO SUNDAY, APRIL 16 1944 - MARINE DEVIL DOGS - Once again dogs are proving to be man's best friend. They are taking part in the war in the Southwest Pacific and have proven themselves to be heroes under all circumstances. The dog platoon at Bougainville was the first full platoon of dogs to be used in combat by any of our armed forces during this war. These canines are enlisted in the Marine Corps in the Marine Devil Dogs and are given several months of grueling training under simulated battle conditions. This schooling, they put to good use when in actual combat. They live, as Marines do, in foxholes, in jungles and on limited rations, and like all true Marines, fall to their task with great eagerness. Several of the dogs have been commended by the Marine Corps Commandant for their outstanding work in combat.

NIPPED BY A NIP ---- Jack, a three year old Belgian Shepherd, was donated for war service to the Marine Corps by his owner Joseph Verhseghe, Floral Park, New York, and has been commended by the Commandant of the Marine Corps for "outstanding performance against the enemy" while on Bougainville. Jack was in the line of duty carrying a message back from the company on a road block, and was wounded in the back by a Jap sniper. Even though wounded he carried the message through. He is pictured here with one of his handlers, Private First Class Finley, Elmira, New York. ---- Photographer PFC P. Scheer

1 comment:

Windy Wilson said...

Belgian Shepherd.
As Colonel Hogan said to Colonel Klink, Stalag 19 uses Belgian Shepherds, they're smarter.
I had one. Loyal, smart, well behaved, and not into this fetch nonsense ("You're only going to throw it away again").