a tree-filled area across the river and came back for Duc. Vierig wrapped Duc’s body in the marine flag, picked up the ninety-pound dog, and hoisted him across the back of his shoulders. He walked him out his backyard and crossed the chest-deep water of the Weber, making sure to keep Duc dry. He lay Duc on the ground under a big tree with lots of shade.
Then he placed Duc in the grave, buried him, and covered the site with big round stones from the riverbed to help keep other animals from digging down. Earlier in the day he had attached to the tree Duc’s old military kennel sign with his name on it. To this, he attached all of Duc’s medals and ribbons. There were about thirteen, but since military working dogs don’t officially rate ribbons and medals, they were actually all Vierig’s, for anything he earned while Duc was his dog.
Vierig has since moved, but he still goes up to visit his dog and replaces ribbons when they wear out.
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WHO NEEDS MEDALS OR STAMPS?
Duc got his ribbons the way many dogs do: unofficially, and because of someone’s great admiration and respect. Dogs in the military are not officially awarded ribbons or medals from the Department of Defense. America’s canine heroes can save all the lives in their squad and get injured in the process, but they will not receive true official recognition.
When you hear about dogs garnering awards and decorations, it’s usually because someone higher up at a command knows how valuable these dogs are and wants to award their valor, their heroism, their steadfast dedication to their mission. And the dogs get the awards, but the awards don’t have the blessing of the Department of Defense. One former army handler I spoke with says he has seen dogs get all kinds of honors, including Meritorious Service Medals and Army Commendation Medals. Some dogs have also received Purple Hearts and Silver Stars. The ceremonies look official. But these are simply “feel-good honors,” says Ron Aiello, president of the national nonprofit organization the United States War Dogs Association.
For the last several years, Aiello and his group, which helps soldier dogs and their handlers, have been among a few organizations trying to get more official recognition of military working dogs. So far, the Department of Defense hasn’t budged.
Aiello’s group has been told medals and awards are only for human troops, not animals. Aiello is sensitive to the fact that giving a dog the same award as a person might be a touchy subject for some. So he proposed a special service medal just for dogs. That didn’t work, either. Finally, “because the DOD had no interest in awarding our military working dogs for their service,” explains Aiello, the group simply asked for official sanction of the organization in issuing the United States Military Working Dog Service Award. You can guess the result.
Because he and his team knew how much it meant for handlers to have some recognition for their dogs, they went ahead and created the United States Military Working Dog Service Award anyway. It can be bestowed on any dog who has actively participated in ground or surface combat. It’s a large bronze-colored medal on a red, white, and blue neck ribbon. It comes with a personalized certificate. There have been about eighty awarded so far, and Aiello says handlers greatly appreciate their dogs being recognized like this.
The move to see dogs get some kind of official recognition is gaining support from those inside, as well. In 2011, Master Chief Scott Thompson, head of military working dog operations in Afghanistan at the time, spoke at a biannual conference at Lackland Air Force Base. He said that these dogs absolutely deserve medals. “Some veterans may say it’s degrading to them, but it shouldn’t be. Most commanders have given dogs Purple Hearts, but it wouldn’t have to be the same awards. I think most people would agree that dogs have earned the right to this. There needs to be some kind of legislation to recognize what dogs do, and we need to do the right thing.”
There was once a German shepherd mix who received an official Distinguished Service Cross, a Purple Heart, and a Silver Star. His name was Chips. He performed many feats of courage and loyalty while serving in World War II, but one event in particular shows what this dog was made of. In the dark of early morning on July 10, 1943, on a beach in Sicily, Chips and his handler, Private John P. Rowell, came under machine-gun fire from a camouflaged pillbox. Here’s how Michael Lemish describes it in his book
Immediately Chips broke loose from Rowell, trailing his leash and running full-steam toward the hut. Moments later, the machine-gun fire stopped and an Italian soldier appeared with Chips slashing and biting his arm and throat. Three soldiers followed with their arms raised in surrender. Rowell called Chips off and took the four Italians prisoner. What actually occurred in the pillbox is known only by the Italians, and, of course, the dog. Chips received a minor scalp wound and displayed powder burns, showing that a vicious fight had taken place inside the hut and that the soldiers had attempted to shoot the dog with a revolver. But the surrender came abruptly, indicating that Chips was solely responsible.
That night, Chips also alerted to ten Italian soldiers moving in on them. Rowell was able to take them all prisoners because of his dog’s warning. Chips was lauded for his heroism and highly decorated. But William Thomas, national commander of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, was not amused. “It decries the high and lofty purpose for which the medal was created.” The War Department rescinded the dog’s awards, and the medals were returned.
Major General J. A. Ulio would go on to decree the following year that “the award of War Department decorations to other than persons, that is, human beings, is prohibited.” (You’ve got to love the clarification of “other than persons.”) But he also wrote that “if it is desired to recognize the outstanding services of an animal … appropriate citation may be published in unit general orders.”
The latter clause left the door open for an official medal or award specifically for war dogs.
It’s been nearly seventy years.
So this is how it looks if you want your dog to have a Purple Heart these days:
Air Force Staff Sergeant Brent Olson received a Purple Heart and an Army Commendation Medal for what happened the day he and his dog Blek (whom we met earlier in Part Four) were involved in an explosion in Afghanistan. Blek received nothing. At a ceremony where Olson was awarded another medal, he wanted Blek to receive his due recognition. He leaned over and pinned his own Purple Heart to Blek’s harness.
“Everybody was like, ‘awwwww!’” remembers Olson, “but I wanted to make a statement. Dogs are soldiers, too. They give up their whole lives for this. Sure they do it for the play and the fun, but the reason doesn’t matter. They work so hard and save so many lives. Not to be recognized officially is a slap in the face.”
If not a medal—at least not just yet—how about a stamp? All kinds of stamps come out every year. Among the 2012 selection are several flag designs, the ubiquitous love designs, some weather vanes, and some good- looking stamps featuring baseball greats and film directors. The year before brought a stamp featuring Owney, a really cool postal service dog from the late 1800s.
Sounds like at some point, stamps honoring military working dogs would have been a natural. That’s what Aiello thought. He and his organization have been at the stamp issue since 2000. The last petition he sent with his official request had ten thousand signatures.
Connie Totten-Oldham, manager of stamp development for the U.S. Postal Service, recently wrote him saying, “I certainly can understand your interest in such an important subject and your frustration over your long campaign without seeing an actual stamp.” She said she appreciates the many letters and petitions he has submitted through the years and that, as always, the matter is under consideration.
She suggested Aiello look into a souvenir cancellation postmark or services that provide personalized postage—you know, the kind of stamps featuring someone’s baby or favorite cat. Aiello is not going that route. “I’m not going to settle for anything less than a postage stamp featuring these very deserving dogs.” In case the postal service wants to know what it’s up against, Aiello was a Vietnam war-dog handler. He and his scout dog, Stormy, routinely led many troops safely through the jungle, successfully completing missions, regardless of obstacles….
