The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-07-25
MARINE WAR DOGS
GO HOME BETWEEN
FIGHTS FOR RESTS
BY BONNIE WuEv

WAR DOG HEADQUARTERS
War dogs, like combat troon
are brought back between fjgSs
ing operations in the Pacifc CIV ,.
rest and training or, in son no'
cases, for disability discharge
War dogs have earned b,,s.
stars in many island invasion. .s
have saved American lives sns
helped pile up japanese csS,l
ties.
I'VE really fatten them up Will.
they're here resting" said Can,
L. Wilson Davis of Baltimorrs
commanding officer Thew
bound back from battle bet t :,
than a man, but it's surprjsioa
how many of them react iI
about like the men. Thev -
everything from homesicknss,
(but usually for their trainers
rather than their owners to hat
tie fatigue"
Butch, sad eyed Doberman
pincher, a battle fatigue case
looked disinterestedly from bis
kennel.
THAT dog and his trainer were
pinned down on a beach eight
days with Jap fire over them con.
SANITY" Davis said. 1T was ,oo
much for Butch. He goes crazv
now when he hears gunfire. He's
waiting for his medical discharse
and will be sent hore."
Just like the combat Marines
the war dogs want bit of variety
with their resting and so everv
day they're given a regular play
period and every Sunday after.
noon their trainers take them
swimming in the ocean.
THE question asked us most is
whether our dogs are vicious"
Davis said. well, yes, they al.
vicious. but only when their train.
ers order them to be. The dogs
are not used to attack the enemy
in battle. That's the popular mis-.
conception of their place in war.
They are used to carry messages
and on scout patrol and just re-
Gently we're experimenting with
putting them on land mine detec.
ton
Training the mine detection de.
tail is 1t. Stanley Hayter of Sa.
lem Center. N. Y.
watch Rex and Jeff cover that
field" he said, land you'll see
how it works. We've buried cans
out there and the dogs are trained
to find them"
Cautiously Rex and Jeff, Two
beautiful German shepherds, crept
forward. Rex stopped, abruptly
sitting down.
That's his signal there's a
buried object in front of him, y
Hayter explained HE won't move
till it's dug up"
Pvt. Aubrey Martin Of Macon,
Ca, Rex trainer, and Pvt Fran
els White of Riverhead, N. Y,
Jeff's trainer, are sure the expert
ment will be success.
Another typical war dog was
Derrick, sleek Doberman pincher
message carrier, who raced
through the jungles like black
streak from one trainer, Pfc. Har'
old E. Kennedy of Avon, Mass,
to another, Sgt. Dallie Sellers Of
Hamilton, Ohio, to show how it's
done.
1T wouldn't be healthy to try
to stop that dog while he's car
rying that message" Capt. Nils
Nilsson of F a m It'll h, Va, IN
charge of training, said. Hell i2,
more you if you cali him and at
tack you if you stop him."
In the field the dogs eat x ra'
tons, right along with their train
ers, and some lose as much as
20 pounds on an invasion, Sgt. Will
liam Shepherd of Belmont, ohlo
chief field braixer, said,
Main use of the dogs is scout
patrol and Buddy, Doberman
; pincher veteran of Two lima
showed how, directed by his tram
er, Pfc. Otis Erb of Mcclure Pa
Ears alert, Buddy trotted down
winding jungle trail, shifting he
air interestedly. looking for what
ever might be hiding in the Jun
giles. Abruptly. he stiffened'
"Steady. boy, find EN- WIS
pered Erb.
Creeping forward slowly BUGGY
kept on, hair rising on his back
go get EN- Erb called ara
into the Jungle Buddy raceo
jumping cocoanut logs, pluh9Ns
through thick green walls OF un
dergrowth until he found tralns!S
s playing the part of japanese snip
ers. j.,
> That's what a dog can do
Captain Davis said I'VE don't e% <,
pect a dog to do anything ne can
$ do"
q