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Saturday, December 29th

The Passing of Richard Thompson 212th 67/68

Fellow members I have two notices to pass on. The first is with heavy heart. I received it from William Griffin 212th 67/68.

I have some bad news regarding the passing of Richard Thompson (212th 67/68). The VA advised him that his prostrate cancer was a result of agent orange and he took the necessary steps...thought it was cured; but, it returned. I am copying Larry on this as well. Link to the obit below:

http://www.mcdonoughvoice.com/article/20121107/NEWS/121109472/-1/news
Gary Smith on 12.29.12 @ 03:26 PM CST [link] [No Comments]

Rose Bowl Parade Entry 65 Canines with Courage

This was provided by Jim Frost. Furthur down here is a description of the National Monument. Scroll down.
Be sure to tune into the Rose Bowl Parade on January 1, 2013 at 9:30 AM Pacific Standard Time. Entry 65 will feature a float entitled "Canines with Courage" and sponsored by Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Pet Food. It depicts the Military Working Dog Teams National Monument and salutes these brave and loyal canines. Four canine teams from each branch of the military will be on the float as well as John Burnam and Mike Dowling. Mike is the author of "Sgt Rex" , about his and Rex's experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan. Below is a link to the float description:

http://media.roseparade.net/mediaGuideFloat.asp?id=870

The bronze statues will be officially unveiled after the parade and will then go on a long tour before reaching their final destination an Lackland AFB, TX. I am fervently working with John to ensure they make a stop in the Valley!!!!

Also, on January 2, 2013 at 9:20 AM Mountain Standard Time, I am scheduled to be on Good Morning Arizona, Channel 3 here in Phoenix. I will be talking about the military working dog and the monument. Channel 3 does a live stream of their news programs on www.azfamily.com If you have a chance, tune in or watch it on their website. I'm really looking forward to it.

My next major booth setup will be at the Heart of the Desert Dog show, sponsored by the Sahuaro State Kennel Club and Lost Dutchman Kennel Club at the Arizona State Fairgrounds January 31 - Feb 4. A brand new T-Shirt and ballcap selection will be available.

Jim Frostn and check it out.
Gary Smith on 12.29.12 @ 11:37 AM CST [link] [No Comments]

Thursday, December 20th

Above & Beyond Memorial

I received this from William Morris 981st 67/68 and confirmed by Dean Castelli 212 69/70. I looked it up on the internet. As previously mentioned I have not mastered how to load pictures on the site. So if you want to see the pictures go to National Veterans Art Musuem. At the site, search for Above & Beyond Memorial.

"Above and Beyond"
Now at a NEW LOCATION!
When visitors first enter the museum, they will hear a sound like wind chimes coming from above them and their attention will be drawn upward 24 feet to the ceiling of the two-story high atrium.

Dog tags of the more than 58,000 service men and women who died in the Vietnam War hang from the ceiling of the National Vietnam Veterans Art Museum in Chicago on Veterans Day, November 11, 2010. The 10-by-40-foot sculpture, entitled Above & Beyond, was designed by Ned Broderick and Richard Steinbock. The tens of thousands of metal dog tags are suspended 24 feet in the air, 1 inch apart, from fine lines that allow them to move and chime with shifting air currents. Museum employees using a kiosk and laser pointer help visitors locate the exact dog tag with the imprinted name of their lost friend or relative.
Gary Smith on 12.20.12 @ 05:56 PM CST [link] [No Comments]

Tuesday, December 18th

The Dog That Cornered Osama Bin Laden

This was provided by Dean and Linda Castelli. Again I have not mastered how to post pictures. To see the pictures go to K9 Storm Intruders on the internet.
These dogs are phenomenal!
How cool is this...

The Dog That Cornered Osama Bin Laden... not your standard K9.

When U.S. President Barack Obama went to Fort Campbell , Kentucky ,
for a highly publicized, but very private meeting with the commando
teamthat killed Osama bin Laden, only one of the 81 members of the
super-secretSEAL DevGru unit was identified by name:
Cairo, the war dog.

Cairo, like most canine members of the elite U.S. Navy SEALs, is a
BelgianMalinois. The Malinois breed is similar to German shepherds
but smaller and more compact, with an adult male weighing in the
30-kilo range.

(German shepherds are still used as war dogs by the American military
butthe lighter, stubbier Malinois is considered better for the tandem
parachute jumping and rappelling operations often undertaken by
SEAL teams. Labrador retrievers are also favored by various military
organizations around the world.

Like their human counterparts, the dog SEALs are highly trained, highly
skilled, highly motivated special ops experts, able to perform
extraordinary military missions by
Sea, Air and Land (thus the acronym SEAL).
The dogs carry out a wide range of specialized duties for the military
teams to which they are attached: With a sense of smell 40 times greater
than a human's, the dogs are trained to detect and identify both explosive
material and hostile or hiding humans.

The dogs are twice as fast as a fit human, so anyone trying to escape is
not likely to outrun Cairo or his buddies.

The dogs, equipped with video cameras, also enter certain danger zones
first, allowing their handlers to see what's ahead before humans follow.
As I mentioned before, SEAL dogs are even trained parachutists,
jumpingeither in tandem with their handlers or solo, if the jump is into
water. Last year canine parachute instructor Mike Forsythe and his dog
Cara set the world record for highest man-dog parachute deployment,
jumping from more than 30,100 feet up - the altitude transoceanic
passenger jets fly at. Both Forsythe and Cara were wearing oxygen
masks and skin protectors forthe jump.

Here's a photo from that jump, taken by Andy Anderson for K9 Storm Inc.
(more about those folks shortly).

As well, the dogs are faithful, fearless and ferocious “incredibly
frightening" and efficient attackers.

When the SEAL DevGru team (usually known by its old designation,
Team 6) hit bin Laden's Pakistan compound on May 2, Cairo 's feet would
have been four of the first on the ground.

And like the human SEALs, Cairo was wearing super-strong, flexible body
Armor and outfitted with high-tech equipment that included "doggles" -
specially designed and fitted dog goggles with night-vision and infrared
capability that would even allow Cairo to see human heat forms through
concrete walls.

Now where on earth would anyone get that kind of incredibly niche
hi-techdoggie gear?
From Winnipeg, of all places.
Jim and Gloria Slater's Manitoba hi-tech mom-and-pop business,
K9 Storm Inc., has a deserved worldwide reputation for designing and
manufacturingprobably the best body Armor available for police and
military dogs. Working dogs in 15 countries around the world are
currently protected bytheir K9 Storm body Armor.
Gary Smith on 12.18.12 @ 11:21 AM CST [link] [No Comments]

Military Working Dog Teams National Monument

This was sent by Jim Frost. I was unable at this time to post the pictures that accompanied the email. May I suggest you type in your search engine Military Working Dog Teams National Monument. I did that and I found pictures of what Jim sent me. "for the Military Working Dog Teams NATIONAL Monument are done. They will officially be unveiled at the end of the Tournament of Roses Parade January 1. However, John has given me permission to post pictures of them. One is of the canine handler. He is dressed in modern uniform and equipment for today's military. He stands 9 feet tall. The dogs depicted are the four major breeds most used in the military in the past and present. The Doberman Pinscher - the Pride of the US Marine Corps in the War in the Pacific in WW2. The German Shepherd Dog - the official breed when the K-9 Corps was created in the late 1950's and famous for its patrol work, vehicle and building searches. The Labrador Retriever which was pressed into service starting in Vietnam as a tracker, now used so much by the Marines in Afghanistan because it is so adept at IED detection, and the up and coming Belgian Malinois.

Please understand.... a couple of the dogs are composites of several military canines of that breed. In the case of the German Shepherd Dog, there is a lot of Lex in that one. These canines represent the military working dogs of every breed of every decade they have served. They were not created according to AKC standards for each breed, nor were they meant to be. I hope you all understand and accept that. As more pictures come in I will try to set up an album for people to visit and view.

Thank you all for your support for this project. Whether its the parade, attending events, making donations, moral support you are all a part of this and this monument is also yours.

Also,new shirts are coming out and they will knock your socks off!!!!!!

Jim"
Gary Smith on 12.18.12 @ 11:13 AM CST [link] [No Comments]

Saturday, December 15th

Person Asking For Patches

hello my name is Arthur I am in a wheelchair and I have muscular dystrophy and I am a patch collector . I am looking to get a military patch or autographed military pictures from you

thanks

art samel
1700 tuckerstown rd
dresher pa 19025

Gary Smith on 12.15.12 @ 02:10 PM CST [link] [No Comments]

Wednesday, December 5th

Ho-Chi-Minh trail........today

Photo-story on the Ho Chi Minh trail through Laos with photos to show what the area looks like today.

Vietnam vets may have interest in this one, as would POW/MIA families.

http://www.laosgpsmap.com/ho-chi-minh-trail-laos/

This was suggested by James Botts 212th 69/70
Gary Smith on 12.05.12 @ 04:30 PM CST [link] [No Comments]

An Historic Day

My understanding is that the Senate this afternoon passed the National Defense Authorization Act of 2013. Included in that act was the Canine Members of the Armed Forces. This part of the bill makes a lot of changes to how the Military Canine is designated in the Military, how it is treated, and what it is eligible for upon retirement. There will be medical benefits available for those who adopt these dedicated animals that will not involve additional federal funds. Most importantly from my standpoint is the Military Canine will no longer be designated as "equipment" while on active duty serving this country, and will not be classified as "surplus equipment" upon retirement. They will be Canine VETERANS who have served this country with dedication, loyalty, and sacrifice. Thousands of military personnel....handlers, combat, combat support, and support came home from a conflict because these dogs saved their lives. This has been decades in the making.

To all those who sent messages to our members of Congress to support this action I thank you. I thank all of you for your support of any kind towards what so many of us have worked for and hoped for.

Jim Frost
Veteran, 981st Military Police Company (Sentry Dog)
Gary Smith on 12.05.12 @ 07:51 AM CST [link] [No Comments]

Tuesday, December 4th

SGT. STUBBY WAR DOG HERO!

Meet America's first war dog, a stray Pit Bull/Terrier mix, named Stubby. He became Sgt. Stubby, was the most decorated war dog of World War I and the only dog to be promoted to sergeant through combat. One day he appeared at Yale Field in New Haven, Connecticut; while a group of soldiers were training, stopping to make friends with soldiers as they drilled. One soldier, Corporal Robert Conroy, developed a fondness for the dog. He named him Stubby because of his short legs. When it became time for the outfit to ship out, Conroy hid Stubby on board the troop ship. In order to keep the dog, the private taught him to salute his commanding officers warming their hearts to him. See the rest of the story go to http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/stubbywardog.html. Provided by Robert Bowden 981st 69/70
Gary Smith on 12.04.12 @ 09:05 AM CST [link] [No Comments]

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Last Updated on 01/22/2009
By J.D.