SALUTE TO THE WAR DOG: PHOENIX 2005 VETERANS DAY PARADE

By: Jim Frost

Five years....its hard to believe we've been in that many parades now here in Phoenix. I still remember that first year. Sending an email to one person I met by chance at a dog show, asking if there would be any interest in the German Shepherd Dog Club in marching in the 2000 Veteran's Day Parade to honor the canines who served in Vietnam. I was invited to their meeting. I gave my story... your story, really. I finished up, not knowing what to expect. The club president at the time looking around the room and making the statement "well, I think we can do that". Should we vote? No debate, no questions about cost...just a unanimous vote to participate in the parade.

Thirty six members and their dogs responded that first year to march. I was amazed. Fast forward to 2005. The stress level hasn't changed. I stress over the parade narrative, wanting to get it right. For four years we have told the story and honored the memory of the Vietnam war dog. This year's parade theme centers around World War II. I need an appropriate narrative, maybe not so much emphasizing our dogs.

I decide to tell a story. I had been in contact with Luke Air Force Base officials a few weeks earlier - they said they could send up to five teams for this year's parade. Something I've always wanted for this entry was to have a military group leading us down the street and it was going to happen!! In the narrative then, I had Luke AFB right up front, representing all military war dogs from yesterday and today.

The next group included Search and Rescue certified dogs, as well as dogs in training for the Seeing Eye Foundation here in Phoenix. It was touch and go with them at this point - neither group had completely committed to the parade yet - but I plunged ahead and used them to illustrate the transition the use of dogs in the military have transitioned into use in the civilian world. The third group in the parade were us old veterans who worked with the best friend we ever had we ever had over there in that strange land.

I posted the parade at the VDHA site; I contacted veterans who marched in the past. I received positive responses from two, hope I can from one, regrets from one, and not a word from the others. Ernie Ayala was the one who sent his regrets to make it to the parade, but his encouragement year after year is one of the things that keeps me going in this.

The final group in the parade were the dog clubs - the ones who make it possible. We started out with just the Grand Canyon German Shepherd Club five years ago. They have had a few problems, membership is really down, but they remain enthusiastic over the parade. The one thing we never argue about, one member told me. Each group that was to be in the parade were there to represent the thousands and thousands of civilian owners who convinced the powers that be of the versatility of these dogs and jump started the programs with their donations of, at times, a family pet, to the war effort.

I spent a full weekend on the narrative, wanting to get it right, asked for suggestions, implemented some of them, and sent it in with our application. Two weeks before the parade was the mandatory meeting for all entries. I get to meet Sergeant Maticka who was there for the Air Force canines. Just a great young man. The Grand Canyon Club representative is there, a French-Canadian transplant who also runs the club's website, who will go home from the meeting and take the time to enter all the information to the website, send out emails to the members to read it.

I look up just before the meeting starts and there's Steff - just a fantastic lady who hasn't been in the parade for two years. She operates the SW German Shepherd Rescue Group, an activity that takes in German Shepherds that owners give up, or strays, or ones that end up in the animal shelter and she rescues. Her goal is to get them adopted out. Steff offers no sympathy, gives no apologies, doesn't accept sympathy, and won't accept apologies. When it comes to people, she doesn't have a lot of time for them, but for the dogs - totally different story.

The biggest disappointment at the meeting - we are assigned the #80 starting spot in the parade. I don't want to be that far back, but nothing I can do about it. The rules of the parade are pretty old hat to me by now, though. The final two weeks. My wife doesn't know how to describe me during that time....I'm either a "crazy old man" or "a kid again, waiting for Christmas morning to arrive." I'm sending out emails, I'm going to meetings of the dog clubs.

I hear from Mike, who was president of the Grand Canyon Club the second year we were in the parade and hasn't been back since. He's bringing the search and rescue dogs from an adjoining county. Major high for me. I hear from Bonnie, one of the nicest women I've ever known. Bonnie has been in every parade. She has supplied a dog for one of the guys to march with, she showed up at last year's parade at 5:30 in the morning, even though she li ves about 30 miles out, to help tell our story and promote the parade on the early morning local news for each TV station. Every year, she sponsors a lunch for the veteran's after each parade. This year, she has the Seeing Eye trainers lined up, plus several friends with their dogs. Another major high. Things are looking good.

I get phone calls asking about uniforms...what to wear, what to wear. Its decided Black T-shirts and blue jeans are the uniform of the day. The clubs all have those T-s and polo shirts with club logos on them. I'm arranging for volunteers to carry the banners, do the water runs along the parade route, and do the pooper-scooping.

All the little details. Then the lows start setting in. A veteran who had committed to the parade can't get time off from work to participate. Bummer. Another veteran can't make it. Big bummer. Then the biggest blow of all. Sergeant Maticka calls up 26 hours before the parade. The Air Force has to cancel out. A virus has hit some of the dogs, and the base vet quarantines them. I'm devastated by that. Michel, the webmaster contacts me. He has two show quality dogs. He's been a major driving force in the club for the parade. He can't afford to expose the dogs to anything with winter shows coming up. He has to drop out of the parade, too.

The devastation is complete and my day is shot. I'm really feeling sorry for myself. My wife has to put up with a lot of venting. I tell her, "maybe this better be my last parade". She just looks at me and says "yea, right. You'll be doing this even if there's only one dog and you're in a wheelchair". Sympathy is not one of her strong points.

The morning of the parade. I'm up at 0400. Need to be there early again for the TV stuff and get the parade promoted. Gordon Wildes, a VDHA member and doghandler with the the 3rd SPS in Vietnam gets up early and picks me up. Gordon is marching in his third parade to remember Yankee, his dog in Vietnam. And Ali arrives with her two coal black German Shepherds - Hart and Kirie. Both are parade veterans. Kirie marched in the initial 2000 parade when she was 12 weeks old. We do the TV thing, Hart and Kirie get a lot of air time, then off to breakfast.

We arrive back to the staging area and set up our equipment and the first two banners. I look up and here comes a group already. They arrive, we introduce to all. I look up and here comes another group of people and their German Shepherds. They just keep coming for the next 45 minutes. Here comes the dogs wearing blue vests, and the people wearing blue T-shirts...the Seeing Eye trainers. Then there are the dogs with orange vests and the people decked out in backpacks. The Search and Rescue folks have arrived. I'm taking pictures.

The call finally comes to start lining up and proceeding thru the long wait to even enter the parade. We form up....one of my traditions is to go through the line and shake each participants hands and thank them for marching in the parade. This year, I added something extra. VDHA member John Langley has supplied me with forty five "Hell on Paws" patches to hand out to each participant. I figured 45 was easily enough. I'm shaking hands and handing out patches. I ran out with at least five people to go!!! Over FIFTY people and thier dogs are there!!! I was flabbergasted..never that many...never that many.

We finally start out on the two-mile parade route. I look over at Gordon and say "for the four thousand, Gordon, for the four thousand." Less than two blocks up is the Judges Stand. The only thing I asked of the marchers...get into straight lines and try to have the dogs in a good heel position when we go past the Judges. After that, have fun. I didn't have to look back to know we looked good going past the Judges..I just knew it!! It was confirmed by the announcer at that stand when he even mentioned the straight lines and how good we looked. We march...the crowd is fantastic. We get cheers, we get applause. All along the parade route are signs thanking veterans for their service.

I see Gordon going into the crowd with Hart at his side, shaking hands. Other people leave the formation and go over to the crowd. I'm running to the crowd shaking hands, saying thanks right back to them. I started with a dog, but I have too much fun with the crowd and taking pictures. My wife joins us in the parade and takes the dog for awhile!! It was just a gorgeous day for the parade and for all of us. At the end of the parade, people come up to me and already talk of next year. Gordon stands there and says "As long as I can walk, I'll be here". Its just a great feeling. I've always said that when we march in that parade, it makes no difference how many dogs are actually there. I know the spirit of 4,000 are there too. This year, the spirit of 100,000 war dogs marched down that street....We marched for all of them...and for all of you.

Right now, there are some pictures posted at :