"Guide dogs, assistance dogs, police dogs... and war dogs... really do sometimes seem to "get it" with regard to just plain loving the fact that they have a mission to do and they totally commit to doing it."
I agree, I believe they understand they have a "Job" to do and take great pride doing it. See the enthusiasm many of them display while performing their duty. They don't understand what's going on but I don't think they want to be anywhere else other than with their Handler (Dad/Mom).
One of mine in search of a "job" has become the "self-appointed guardian of the neighborhood" and makes sure everyone knows she's "on duty" once I get home.
Heh... roger that... and I'd guess that a dog working with a company of Marines pretty much takes responsibility for protecting his Marines. Dogs are funny that way.
Dang... reading this story twice doesn't diminish it any.
If you don't mind, I'd like to post a section of my freepmail here. For some reason I think it is something that needs said:
I hate it when we lose good men to this enemy that doesn't deserve this sacrifice of their betters. These soldiers and Marines are the finest of us all. God bless them all.
These service animals, be they the dogs or the dolphins or the seals, really do yeomans' work and they can't ever know how fully we benefit from their faithfulness.
The absolute least that we can do for them is to give them the same respect we would give for any of our own fallen comrades. Seems to me that they've earned it.