Memorial Day is the time to honor the soldiers who laid down their lives for our country. We are eternally grateful for those who dedicated their lives to fighting for our freedom. This includes some extremely honorable service dogs. After all, canines are man’s best friend and they are always there for us.
Here are our Top 4 Honorable Service Dogs to Remember This Memorial Day
1 – Lex: This amazing canine was the first active-duty military dog to be granted early retirement. While working in Fallujah, Iraq with the US Marine Corps his handler, Cpl. Dustin J Lee was killed in an attack. And according to reports, even though Lex was also hurt, he refused to leave Cpl. Lee’s side and had to be pulled away for treatment. They let him retire early to be adopted by his handler’s parents. Lex ended up with 50 pieces of shrapnel in his body from the attack. However, he still worked as a therapy dog for vets until he passed in 2012 of cancer at the age of 13.
2- Appollo: This search and rescue pup was on-site meer minutes after the 9-11 World Trade Center attacks. He and a team of over 350 search and rescue (SAR) service dogs worked 16 hours a day to try and find survivors. Sadly, as they worked and found few survivors, they became distraught. As dogs trained to find survivors, it was almost like they thought they were failing at their task.
3- Stubby: This is probably one of the most famous war dogs of all time. He’s one of the first dogs known to participate in war and is the only dog to be given the rank of sergeant. He participated in 17 battles, four offenses, and took the task on of improving troop morale. More than that, he warned his unit of poison-gas attacks, incoming artillery fire, and located downed soldiers on the battlefield.
4- Smoky: A surprisingly small and spunky war pup was the Yorkshire Terrier named Smoky. This brave dog was found in 1944 in a foxhole in New Guinea and adopted by our troops. He was great for hearing incoming artillery shells and warning the troop before they hit. He was a part of a dozen combat missions and survived more than 150 air raids. He also pulled a telegraph wire through a narrow 70 foot pipe keeping engineers safe from enemy fire.
Our canine companions are always there for us. Service dogs prove that not only are dogs man’s best friend, they can be our best ally too. Throughout time they have proven their dedication and love for humans. This Memorial day make sure to take time to remember the four-legged counterparts that bravely fight for our safety and freedom.