The FReeper Foxhole Remembers The Canine Marine Raiders (1943-45) - Mar. 25th, 2003

http://www.usmarineraiders.org/wardogs.htm ^

[SAMWolf]

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WAR DOGS WITH THE RAIDERS

Dogs crossed the Alps with Hannibal, they marched with Ceasar's Legions and even the Crusaders had their Mastiffs!

The first appearance of the Devil Dogs, as the Raiders were wont to call them, was during the Bougainville operation, 1 November 1943. Here the 1st Marine War Dog Platoon was attached to H & S Company, 2nd Marine Raider Regiment (provisional). This platoon was composed of 24 dogs (21 Doberman Pinschers, 1 Belgian and 2 German Shepherds).

The Platoon Commander Lt. Clyde A. Henderson stated: "To facilitate training and control in the field for every 5-6 dogs there was a Marine responsible for their well being." When you view the fact that each dog had two handlers it is seen that the squad organization consisted of thirteen men-as were the rifle squads at that time.

On the Bougainville campaign, probably the most famous of the dogs was Caesar (one of the German Shepherds).

During the time that "M" Company, 3rd Raider Battalion was holding a road block on the Piva Trail, Caesar made nine runs between the road block and the Battalion Command Post when lines were out and radios would not carry in the heavy jungle. Caesar was wounded on the third day when, during the early morning, he attacked a Jap who was in the act of shoving a hand grenade into the foxhole of his handler's, PFC Rufus Mayo (Caesar's other handler was PFC John K. Kleenman).

Jack, a three year old Belgian Shepherd whose handlers were PFC Gorgon J. Wortman and PFC Paul J. Castracane, also acquitted himself bravely- getting through with a message to send stretcher bearers immediately, a vital message since all telephone lines had been cut. Jack made the run in spite of being shot in the back.

Rex, a two-year-old Doberman scout dog forewarned his group of Marines of the presence of Japs during the night. They were ready and waiting when the attack came at dawn and successfully repelled it! Rex was handled by PFC William N. Hendrickson and PFC Charles Foist.



Another scout dog, a four year old Doberman named Otto, while working ahead of a reconnaissance patrol, warned the Marines of a Jap machine gun position located 100 yards away. This gave the Marines time to disperse and take cover before the machine gun opened fire. The two handlers were PVT Martin R. Troup and PFC Henry L. Demault.

While the Raiders used only the scout and message dogs, there were other uses of dogs in the military during World War II.

Sentry attack dogs were used with the Coast Guard.

The Casualty dogs were trained to find wounded military personnel in debris and heavy cover. The wire laying dogs were used to lay communication wire from a spool or spindle attached to their back or side.

The pack dogs useful in northern and mountainous areas were capable of transporting small amounts of ammo and medical supplies. Sled dogs were also used to some extent by our ski troops.



Concerning the selection and procurement, the Planning and Policies Division of Marine Corps Headquarters summarized the reasoning behind the use of dogs with this statement: "Dogs are weapons. They are used because they give our men added power of observation through their acute sense of smell and hearing."

All dogs were voluntarily offered by their owners and before acceptance were given careful examinations. The animal had to weigh at least 50 pounds, be at least 20" at the shoulder and not be less than one year or more than five years old. The dog's temperament could not be overly aggressive or too shy.

On the messenger dogs, the message was carried in the small first aid pouch that was attached to the dog's collar. All dogs were issued a leather leash, a choke chain and a leather muzzle.

Marine ingenuity came into plan when lowering their dogs from ship rail to landing craft. They simply put a Marine fatigue jacket backward on the dog, inserting his front legs through the rolled up sleeves, buttoning the collar backwards around his neck by the first three buttons and then tying the remainder of the jacket in a knot and affixing the light linthrough and around the knot. This resulted in a comfortable and secure vest or sling which the dog accepted stoically during the lowering into the Higgins boats where his other handler waited.



No dog tags were issued (pun intended) but all dogs were tattooed on the inside of the ear, and all had military record books much like their Marine Handlers. The dogs of 1st Marine War Dog Platoon endeared themselves to the Raiders during the Bougainville action. After this operation the Raiders were destined to be disbanded and be reformed into the 4th Marine Regiment. Here, once again, the former Raiders, while en route to the Island of Japan via Guam and Okinawa, would come in contact with their Devil Dogs.

NERVOUS DOG
By Van D. Shurts. 4CP

If there can be halcyon days in a war, I guess we had ours on Guam in 1944. Battle halcyon days. We had whipped the Japanese something pitiful, and their top-dog generals had all committed harikari, taking their staffs with them in the most honorable of conditions using knives stuck in their livers or grenades against their heads.

Supplies came to our area like a flood. It was on Guam, after the fighting had subsided, everything we needed and a lot we didn't need kept coming to us: barrels of gasoline and boxes of napalm crystals, cases of grenades, good old 10-in-l rations (we could eat all 10 in one day if we wanted to), socks, shorts and pork and beans.



One day we had to destroy several cases of grenades by unscrewing the fuzes and letting them detonate after emptying the shells. No one wanted the grenades, and it wasn't safe to leave them alive. Trade was brisk with the rear echelon people who came up to the front looking for souvenirs. What Japanese trinkets we could find we sold or bartered for booze. Word was passed throughout the island telling everyone not to wander in the jungle for fear of being killed by the Marines. We weren't trigger happy but sometimes our dogs would sniff a Marine the same as a Jap. If some Marine souvenir hunter was out he might be sniffed and shot before he finished. The jungle was dense with a lot of thicket and I'm sure a lot of Japs temporarily survived our patrols by laying among some dead and looking dead.

We had to shoot one of our dogs one day. Most of them were Doberman Pinchers, black, lean and tall. Dogs were assigned to a handler on a one-to-one basis and were not to be petted or fooled with by anyone else. This dog was a female, and I guess she finally got so high-strung with all the Jap smells, the shooting, the blood and excitement and all that, that one day when she spotted a Jap who had just stood up out of the brush with his hands up she charged. She lunged so hard she pulled her tether out of her handler's grip and loped straight at the Jap. At the height of her leap toward the Jap's head, the BARs roared and the dog dropped along with the Jap. A round had passed through her body but she was still alive when carried out on a stretcher. The guys were real sorry it happened; some had tears in their eyes. The Jap was left where he fell.

Thanks to Freeper apackof2 for suggesting this Thread

[SAMWolf]

CLYDE A. HENDERSON'S
LETTER TO R.G. ROSENOUIST,
23 AUGUST 1985

I am Clyde A Henderson 017729 who was the lieutenant in charge of the 1st Marine War Dog Platoon which served on Bougainville.

As to the type of weapons used by the men of war dog platoons, the carbine was the weapon assigned. In addition to the carbine, each man carried two leashes, one six feet and one 20 feet, a towel, grooming brush, extra canteen of water, extra cans of dog food or "C" rations in case dog food was not available.

As to the messenger pouch, my guess would be to contact the quartermaster. You see, all this dog equipment had to be turned in when the men and dogs were discharged.

I have a number of official Marine Corps pictures taken by a combat photographer. Since we were aboard the transport ship with the most high ranking officers (you know how photographers are attracted to high ranks), one photographer attached himself to the dog platoon all the way to Bougainvllle and for three days after we landed!

One of the officers of high rank was very interested in the dogs. Among many other questions he asked was: "Were we preparing our dogs for an exhibition? They look so sleek and healthy." I told him we had to prepare them physically and mentally just as the men had to be at their best if they were going to fight as Marines are supposed to do in combat!

Before finishing this report I must tell you that being made a part of the Raiders, the 1st Marine War Dog Platoon was given the best possible chances to succeed if they deserved it. Then, Colonel Shapley wrote an evaluation of the platoon and its possibilities to headquarters in Washington, D.C. and it was such an excellent report that I was on "Cloud Nine" for days. I was very pleased with my men and dogs and they joined me on "Cloud Nine!"

Colonel Shapley also told me that he had recommended that I be returned to Lejeune to take charge of the training of all future dog platoons-that many more platoons could be very useful. I couldn't have had more cooperation from the officers and men of the 2nd Raider Regiment. Captain Peatross worked with me in setting up combat problems to give all the dogs and handlers a chance to know where they fit into combat situations. Captain Charles Lamb guided me in the way of Marines and protected me from my military shortcomings without making me feel humiliated.

I'm sending along a book written by Clayton G. Going from the Office of War Information. After I returned from Bougainville to Lejeune he spent three days with me. He saw how the men and dogs lived and worked. He took copious notes. He asked lots of questions. He talked to many of the men who were in training for another couple of platoons. I felt he would write a good report.

Incidentally, our War Dog Platoons were used in the assault on Guam, Saipan, Iwo Jima and Okinawa in addition to Bougainville, and none were unopposed landings!

"CEASAR" MAKES NCO
By Colonel "Buck" Stidham. 2 Bn.

I recall a humorous moment involving Caesar. a big beautiful male German Shepard who was the obvious favorite of the troops. As I understand it the dogs had a regular Marine record book and all carried the rank of PFC.

On about the 3rd day ashore word got around that Caesar had done such an outstanding job that Col. Shapley had given him a spot promotion to SGT. I saw Caesar come trotting down the muddy Piva trail. Ignoring everybody as he was trained to do. But as he passed our unit, you could hear these taunts from the ranks- ear banger," "brown nose," "ass kisser" and so forth. If it had any effect on Caesar, it sure didn't show.

JAPANESE WAR DOGS!
By M. F. ("Mac") McLane

On Okinawa we found the use of dogs by the Japanese! Near Motobu we found a large cave with a large number of dead Japanese soldiers but with several live dogs. I put some water into a helmet and one dog drank thirstily, after which he allowed me to slip a belt around his neck and I led him out.

When we searched the gear and personal effects in the cave I found a photo of an enemy soldier with a war dog that had the same markings of the dog I had captured, so we felt it was the same dog!

Referring to my Japanese language manual, I tried some words such as 'kochi koi' (come here), 'suarte'{sit) , 'nete' (lie down), 'tate' (up), and'susume'(go). When he responded I knew I had a Japanese war dog!

We kept him until we boarded ship to leave Okinawa, having named him Motobu, after the location where he was captured. Sadly, the dog expired aboard ship from heartworms, and we all felt we had lost a friend!

[SAMWolf]

As early as 1935, the Marines were interested in war dogs. They had experienced the enemy's sentry dogs used in Haiti and in the other "Banana Wars" in Central America where dogs staked around guerrilla camps in the jungle sounded the alarm at the approach of the Marines. Time and again, the Marines found "beans cooking in the pot", tents, clothes, everything except enemy soldiers and their weapons. The Marines learned the value of dogs used as sentries and scouts. One Marine trained a dog to scout at the head of patrols to alert him to ambushes. It was the Marine Corps veterans that convinced their leaders of the need for dogs.



Although prior to Pearl Harbor, the citizens of the U.S. were opposed to getting involved with the war that was going on in Europe and Asia, the Marines thought they would have to fight the Japanese in the Pacific. Since the Japanese were well established in the islands and atolls of the central, south, and west Pacific, the Marines knew they were going to be fighting in tropical climates where the vegetation provided jungle-like coverage. In such conditions, dogs would be ideal sentries and couriers. It was no surprise later that the Marine Corps had the first large dog unit in the nation's history to see action against the enemy.

Doberman Pinscher Club of America (DPCA)

The Doberman breed was first registered with the American Kennel Club in 1908. It was not until 1922 that more than 100 were registered each year. In 1934, more than 1,000 were registered each year and in 1941 there were 1,637 Dobes registered and they were 15th in popularity amongst purebred dogs. Although there were not a great number of Dobes, they were the one breed that had been produced to be "police-soldier" dogs. The Marines Corps decided that the Doberman Pinscher was to be their official combat dog.



The Doberman Pinscher Club of America was approached to procure Dobes for the newly formed Marine Corps War Dog Training Facility at Camp LeJeune, New River, North Carolina. Sydney A. Moss, President of the DPCA, agreed to assist in the procurement of Dobes. Richard C. Webster, DPCA, Baltimore, Maryland, headed the recruiting committee. He divided the country into sixteen procurement areas to facilitate enlistment. DPCA members spent their own time and money to screen applicant dogs for the Marine Corps. The recruitment was done amongst Dobe owners in the country who were asked to "volunteer" their dogs. Owners were told that their Dobes would be returned to them if they failed to meet the standards or at the end of their tour of service. Actually, the owners did have to sign over ownership of the dogs to the Marine Corps. On the application there was a statement that the dog "agreed to perform active service without pay or allowance, other than subsistence", and whether the dog wishes "to be returned to his owner after his services are no longer required." Many Marine handlers of the Dobes requested that their Dobes come home with them. These requests were nearly always granted by the donating family and other Dobes were returned to their families.

The Marine dogs were named "Devildogs", 90% of them were Doberman Pinschers mostly recruited through the efforts of the DPCA. There were also some German Shepherd Dogs that were obtained from the U.S. Army and the remaining dogs were enlisted directly from their owners.



The larger island in the Solomon's was Bougainville. The Marines landed on Bougainville in 1943. After the landing sites were bombed and shelled, the dog platoon was sent ashore just one hour after the first Marines hit the beach, under heavy mortar and rifle fire. The Devildogs were met with mixed reactions by the fighting Marines. There was one thing that quickly changed the Marines' view of the dogs to a very positive one. In landing and fighting on islands quite often the Marines were stopped for a time on the beaches. It was a common tactic for the Japanese to infiltrate the beach positions at night and attempt to kill the Marines. To prevent this the Marines were always on the alert at night. One night a Marine battalion fired 3,800 rounds, killing a water buffalo and wounding one of their own Marines. No enemy were known to be in the area. The next night the Devildogs were called in. It was a quiet night and the Marines got some sleep. The Dobes keen sense of smell and hearing could detect the presence of men several hundred yards away. In one instance, the dogs detected the presence of troops one half mile away. The Dobes' handlers always had help digging foxholes, the other Marines always wanted the handler and their dogs nearby. No unit protected by one of the dogs was ever ambushed by the Japanese or was there ever a case of Japanese infiltration.

During World War II, seven War Dog Platoons were trained at Camp LeJeune, North Carolina. All platoons served in the Pacific in the war against the Japanese. The First War Dog Platoon served with the 2nd Raider Battalion on Bougainville. From this and other units, the First Marine Brigade was formed and invaded Guam along with the 3rd Marine Division and the 77th Army Division. More units were added to form the 6th Marine Division which invaded Okinawa. The First War Dog Platoon saw action on Bougainville, Guam, and Okinawa. The 2nd and 3rd War Dog Platoons saw action on Guadalcanal, Kwajalein, Enewetak, and Guam.



During the battles, the dogs led infantry points on advances, explored caves, pill boxes, dugouts, and scouted fortified positions. They did sentry duty with military police at crossroads day and night. They occupied foxholes in forward outposts at night. They and their handlers were officially credited with leading three hundred and fifty patrols during the mop up phases of the battles. The handlers accounted for over three hundred enemy slain. Only one handler was killed on patrol. During the Guam campaign fourteen dogs were killed in action and ten more died from exhaustion, tropical maladies, heat stroke, accidents, and anemia from hookworm. These twenty-four were buried in the War Dog Cemetery on Guam.

The Inscription on the front reads as follows:

25 Marine War Dogs gave their lives liberating Guam
in 1944. They served as sentries, messengers, scouts.
They explored caves, detected mines and booby traps.
SEMPER FIDELIS

Kurt	Yonnie	Koko	Bunkie
Skipper	Poncho	Tubby	Hobo
Nig	Prince	Fritz	Emmy
Missy	Cappy	Duke	Max
Blitz	Arno	Silver	Brockie
Bursch	Pepper	Ludwig	Rickey
Tam (buried at sea off Asan Point)

Given in their memory and on behalf of the surviving
men of the 2nd and 3rd marine war dogs platoons, many
of whom owe their lives to the bravery and sacrifice
of these gallant animals.

By William W. Putney DVM C.O. 3rd Marine WarDog Platoon
Dedicated this day 21 July 1994.

[SAMWolf]

"It's important that people know what these dogs did in World War II."

Wellington's dog, Little Prince, depended on his care as much as he depended on the dog. "He was just another Marine as far as I was concerned and I'm sure I was just another dog to him." After the war Little Prince went home with Wellington to California and lived several years as a civilian. "He was my best friend until the end."

-- Bruce Wellington
2nd War Dog Platoon.

Patrols with dogs were never ambushed during the war, said Putney. "It's true the dogs paid a heavy price, but they saved many lives, including my own." Putney, a veterinarian and Silver Star recipient, provided the health care for the dogs on Guam, who collectively received 40 Purple Hearts.

Art Spielman said his memories of all the dogs serving in Guam are still strong years later. His dog Bunkie was one who died in action. "He was a small German Shepherd, but it was his instincts that mattered, not his size."

Handlers were referred to as "dogmen" in the military. Dogs entered the Marines with the rank of private and could be promoted, sometimes outranking their handlers. Spielman said although that seemed unusual, the dogs' abilities were highly respected by the Marines.

"Bunkie out-ranked me, but he earned his spurs."

-- Art Spielman
Marine dog handler.

[SAMWolf]

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[SAMWolf]

Dear Lord,

There's a young man far from home,
called to serve his nation in time of war;
sent to defend our freedom
on some distant foreign shore.

We pray You keep him safe,
we pray You keep him strong,
we pray You send him safely home ...
for he's been away so long.

There's a young woman far from home,
serving her nation with pride.
Her step is strong, her step is sure,
there is courage in every stride.
We pray You keep her safe,
we pray You keep her strong,
we pray You send her safely home ...
for she's been away too long.

Bless those who await their safe return.
Bless those who mourn the lost.
Bless those who serve this country well,
no matter what the cost.

Author Unknown

.

FReepers from the USO Canteen, The Foxhole, and The Poetry Branch
join in prayer for all those serving their country at this time.

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.................................................................................................................................

[SAMWolf]

Thanks, Doughty!

[SAMWolf]

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[Valin]

On This Day In History


Birthdates which occurred on March 25:
1133 Henry II King of England (1154-89)
1252 Konradijn Hohenstaufen [Koenrad van Zwaben], son of Konrad IV
1495 Leonhard Paminger composer
1528 Jacob Andreae German theologist (Schwäbische Konkordie)
1532 Pietro Pontio composer
1594 Maria Tesselschade Roemers Visscher Dutch writer
1653 Joseph Sauveur French physicist/mathematician
1688 Johann Gotthilf Ziegler composer
1699 Johann Adolf Hasse composer
1702 Christian Gottlieb Ziegler composer
1702 Pieter Teyler Van der Hulst Dutch silk merchant (Teyler's Museum)
1713 Jean-Baptiste Canavas composer
1723 Kaat Mussel [Catharina Mulder], Dutch demonstrater
1745 Nicolas Etienne Framery composer
1762 Francesco Giuseppi Pollini composer
1767 Joachim Murat marshal of France/King of Naples (1808-15)
1769 Salvatore Vigano composer
1770 Carl Friedrich Ebers composer
1782 Carolina [Maria A] Bonaparte (countess Lipona), sister of Napoleon)
1784 François-Joseph Fétis Belgian musicology/composer
1786 Giovanni B Amia Italian astronomer/physicist/botanist
1797 John Winebrenner US, clergyman, founded Church of God
1800 Paulin Paris French historian
1808 José de Espronceda y Delgado Spanish revolutionary/poet (Cortes)
1818 Isaac Ingalls Stevens Major General (Union volunteers), died in 1862
1820 Xavier F M G Earl of Merode, Belgian minister to Pope (in Rome)
1823 William Thompson Martin Major General (Confederate Army), died in 1910
1830 Julius Caesar cricketer (prominent batsman for Surrey)
1839 William Bell Wait US, educated the blind
1867 Arturo Toscanini Parma Italy, temperamental conductor
1867 Gutzon Borglum sculptor (Mount Rushmore)
1868 Bill Lockwood cricketer (England all-rounder in 12 Tests 1893-1902)
1869 Gustaaf Schamelhout Flemish physician/writer
1871 John Gutzon Borglum sculptor (Mount Rushmore)
1872 Vito Pardo Italian sculptor (Columbus monument in Argentina)
1873 Rudolf Rocker German/US anarchist
1875 Spencer Charters Duncannon PA, actor (3 Faces West)
1877 Alphonse de Châteaubriant French writer (Instantanés aux Pays-Bas)
1878 Henry graaf de Baillet-Latour Belgian President of IOC (1925-42)
1878 Theodore Samuel Holland composer
1879 Otakar Zich composer
1881 Béla Bartók Hungary, composer/pianist (Concerto for Orchestra)
1881 Louis Dosfel Flemish lawyer/writer (Assault!)
1882 Haydn Wood composer
1885 Veit Valentin German/US historian (Deutsche Revolution)
1887 Josef Capek Czechoslovakian painter/author/critic (Kulhavy Poutník)
1890 Marten Baersma [MH Bottema], Friesan author (De ljochte kimen)
1892 Andy Clyde Scotland, actor (George-Real McCoys, Cully-Lassie)
1893 Edward Hart (Representative-Democrat-NJ)/1st chairman of Committee on Un-American Activities
1894 Erik William Gustav Leidzen composer
1897 John Laurie Dumfries Scotland, actor (Jericho, Island of Desire)
1899 Bella Spewack Hungary, playwright (Kiss Me Kate)
1899 Jacques Audiberti French poet (Race of Men)
1901 Ed Begley Hartford CT, actor (Mr Koppel-Leave it to Larry)
1902 Sten Broman composer
1903 Frankie Carle Providence RI, orchestra leader (Golden Touch)
1905 Binnie Barnes London, actress (Last of the Mohicans, 3 Musketeers)
1906 Alan J P Taylor British historian (English history 1914-1915)
1906 Howard Pyle (Governor-Republican-AZ, 1951-55)
1906 Jean Sablon crooner
1908 Dame Bridget D'Oyly Carte British theater & hotel director
1908 David Lean Croydon England, director (Dr Zhivago, Ryan's Daughter)
1908 Helmut Käutner Düsseldorf Germany, director (Der Hauptmann von Köpenick)
1909 Dutch (Emil) Leonard baseball pitcher (Boston Red Sox, 1.01 ERA 1914)
1909 Jay Blackton New York NY, conductor/arranger (Guys & Dolls)
1910 Mario Peragallo Italian composer
1911 Willy Anthoons Flemish sculptor (Mystic verheffing)
1914 Marthe Robert essayist/translator
1914 Norman E Borlaug US agriculture scientist (Nobel 1970)
1916 Nikolay Ivanovich Peyko composer
1919 Jeanne Cagney actress (Lion is in the Streets, Quicksand)
1920 Patrick Troughton actor (Doctor Who)
1921 Nancy Kelly Lowell MA, actress (Double Exposure, Jesse James)
1921 Simone Signoret Wiesbaden Germany, actress (Casque d'Or, Room at the Top)
1922 Bruno VeSota Chicago IL, actor/director (Chopper, Teenage Doll, Wild Rovers)
1922 Eileen Ford modeling agency head (Ford Modeling Agency)
1923 Lee Hale Tacoma WA, choral director (The Entertainers)
1923 Wim Van Est [Locomotief/Pletmolen], Dutch cyclist
1924 Julia A Perry Lexington KY, US composer (Cask of Amontillado, Selfish Giant)
1924 Machiko Kyo Osaka Japan, actor (Gate of Hell, Rashomon, Ugetsu)
1925 Flannery O'Connor Georgia, novelist (A Good Man Is Hard to Find)
1926 Hans Rausing Swedish/British industrial/billionaire (Tetra Pak)
1926 Laszlo Papp Hungary, Olympics Boxer (Gold-1948, 1952, 1956)
1927 Leslie Claudius India, field hockey (Olympics-gold-1948, 52, 56)
1928 James A Lovell Jr Cleveland OH, USN/astronaut (Gemini 7, 12, Apollo 8, 13)
1929 Harris W Fawell (Representative-Republican-IL, 1985- )
1929 Kenneth Haigh Yorkshire England, actor (Search for the Nile)
1930 David Russell Burge composer
1931 Bohumil Golián Czechoslovakia, volleyball player (Olympics-bronze-1968)
1932 Wes Santee miler
1932 Woody (Woodson) Held baseball player
1934 Gloria Steinem Toledo OH, feminist/publisher (Ms Magazine)
1934 Johnny Burnette Memphis, guitarist (Trains Kept A-Rollin, You're 16)
1935 Susan Engel Vienna Austria, actress (Ascendancy)
1936 Lawrence Bernard "Larry" Gales bassist
1938 Hoyt Axton Duncan OK, actor (Black Stallion, Junkman, Rousters)
1939 Toni Cade Bambara director
1940 Anita Bryant Barnsdall OK, Miss Oklahoma-America (1958)/singer (George Gobel Show)/homophobe
1942 Aretha Franklin Memphis TN, Soul Sister #1/singer (Respect)
1942 Jacqueline Lichtenberg US, sci-fi author (Star Trek Lives!, Dreamspy)
1942 Paul Michael Glaser Cambridge MA, actor (Starsky-Starsky & Hutch)
1943 Pavel Lednev USSR, pentathlete (Olympics-gold-1980)
1943 Ronald Jeffers composer
1944 Frank Oz muppetteer (Grover-Sesame Street, Muppet Show)
1944 Ross Duncan cricketer (one Test Australia vs England 1971, 0-30)
1944 Terry L Bruce (Representative-Democrat-IL, 1985- )
1946 Bonnie Bedelia [Culkin] New York NY, actress (Die Hard, Heart Like a Wheel, New Land)
1947 Claudine Schneider (Representative-Republican-RI, 1981- )
1947 Elton John [Reginald Kenneth Dwight] Pinner Middlesex England, singer (Rocketman, Your Song, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road)
1948 Kelly Garrett actress/singer (Holdin)
1948 Michael Stanley Cleveland OH, rocker (Michael Stanley Band)
1948 Richard Lundy horse trainer
1949 Jean Potvin NHLer
1949 Neil Jones musician (Bend Me Shape Me)
1949 Nick Lowe Woodchurch Suffolk England, rocker (Rockpile-Cruel to be Kind)
1951 Bob Pelander rock keyboardist/vocalist (Michael Stanley Band)
1951 Maisie Williams Montserrat, rock vocalist (Boney M)
1952 Ken Boyd basketball
1953 Haroon Rashid cricketer (Pakistani & WSC batsman late 70's)
1953 Mary Gross Chicago IL, actress/comedian (Saturday Night Live, Club Paradise, Feds)
1956 Sonia M Lannaman England, 4X100 meter relayer (Olympics-bronze-1980)
1958 James McDaniel Washington DC, actor (Arthur Fancy-NYPD Blue)
1958 María Caridad Colón Cuba, javelin thrower, (Olympics-gold-1980)
1958 Yograj Singh cricketer (Indian pace bowler early 80's)
1959 Vince Guerra jockey
1960 Haywood Nelson New York NY, actor (Haywood-Grady, Dwayne-What's Happening)
1960 Robert Green Omaha NE, tennis star
1960 Steve Norman London England, rock saxophone player (Spandau Ballet-True)
1961 John Stockwell Galveston TX, actor (Born to Ride, City Limits)
1961 Mark David Brooks Fort Worth TX, PGA golfer (1994 Kemper Open)
1964 Alex Solls jockey
1964 Eric Woods California, Canadian Tour golfer (1993 Xerox British Columbia Open)
1964 Ken Wregget Brandon Manitoba Canada, NHL goalie (Pittsburgh Penguins)
1965 Avery Johnson NBA guard (San Antonio Spurs)
1965 Sarah Jessica Parker Nelsonville OH, actress (Square Pegs, LA Story)
1965 Sean "Hollywood" Hamilton DJ (Hangin' With Hollywood, Z-100)
1966 David Hohl Winnipeg Manitoba, freestyle wrestler (Olympics-9-92, 96)
1966 Jeff Cross NFL defensive end (Miami Dolphins)
1966 Jeff Healey Canada, blind pop guitarist (See the Light)
1966 Tom Glavine Concord MA, pitcher (Atlanta Braves, Cy Young 1991)
1967 Debi Thomas US, figure skater (Olympics-bronze-1988)
1967 Takayuki Miura hockey defenseman (Team Japan 1998)
1968 Dixon Edwards NFL linebacker (Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings)
1968 Errol Martin CFL linebacker (Edmonton Eskimos)
1968 Peter Blackburn Australia, badminton player (Olympics-96)
1969 Dale Davis NBA forward (Indiana Pacers)
1969 Dan Wilson Arlington Height IL, catcher (Seattle Mariners)
1969 Guy Newman Australian water polo goalie (Olympics-96)
1969 Scott Sanders Hannibal MO, pitcher (San Diego Padres)
1970 Magnus Larsson Sweden, tennis star
1970 Shawn Antoski Brantford, NHL left wing (Philadelphia Flyers)
1971 Aashish Kapoor cricketer (Indian off-spin batsman 1994- )
1971 AndrÄ Bolduc CFL slot back (Edmonton Eskimos)
1971 Cammi Granato ice hockey forward (USA, Olympics-98)
1971 Perry Klein NFL quarterback (Atlanta Falcons)
1971 Sheryl Swoopes Lubbock TX, WNBA forward (Houston Comets, Olympics-gold-96)
1972 Demet Edwards WLAF defensive tackle (Barcelona Dragons)
1972 Howard Battle Biloxi MS, infielder (Philadelphia Phillies)
1972 Lawrence Moten NBA guard (Vancouver Grizzlies)
1973 Andrei Nikolishin Vorkuta Russia, NHL center (Hartford Whalers)
1973 Bob Sura NBA guard (Cleveland Cavaliers)
1973 Ray Zellars NFL fullback (New Orleans Saints)
1974 Mike Adams wide receiver (Pittsburgh Steelers)
1974 Vyninka Arlow Australia, diver (Olympics-96)
1975 Miguel Mejia San Pedro de Macoris, outfielder (St Louis Cardinals)
1976 Monica Croscicka-Wnetrzak Miss Poland-Universe (1996)
1989 Chicken Kentucky 1st partial birth in space (chicken)
2184 Pavel Andreivich Chekov Leningrad, USSR (Star Trek-character)

---

Deaths which occurred on March 25:
1223 Afonso II 3rd King of Portugal (1211-23), dies at 36
1458 Inigo López de Mendoza Spanish marquis of Santillana/poet, dies
1510 Georges d'amboise French archbishop of Narbonne/Rouen, dies at 49
1609 Johan Willem duke of Jülich/Cleef/Mark/Mountain/Ravensberg, dies
1692 Gerardus L Blasius Flemish anatomist, dies at about 66
1697 Hendrik Casimir II King of Nassau-Dietzstadhouder, dies
1751 Frederik of Hessen Kassel King of Sweden (1720-51), dies at 74
1766 Johannes Ritschel composer, dies at 26
1799 Constantin Reindl composer, dies at 60
1801 Anthony Ziesenis architect/sculptor (Camper), dies at 69
1801 Novalis writer, dies at 28
1823 Coelestin Jungbauer composer, dies at 75
1825 Rutger Jan Schimmelpenninck Dutch patriot/earl, dies at 63
1835 Friederike Blum writer, dies
1852 Alexis Garaude composer, dies at 73
1880 Joseph Rummel composer, dies at 61
1880 Ludmilla Assing writer, dies
1909 Ruperto Chapi y Lorente composer, dies at 57
1910 Kálmán Mikszáth Hungarian author (Szent Péter Esernyöje), dies at 63
1914 Frédéric Mistral French poet (Nobel-1904), dies
1918 Claude A Debussy French composer (Iberia/La mer), dies in Paris France at 55
1924 John Reedman cricketer (Test for Australia 1894, 17 & 4, 1 for 24), dies
1937 John Drinkwater English poet/playwright (Bird in Hand), dies at 54
1940 Ion Nonna Otescu composer, dies at 51
1948 Warren Hymer actor (Show Them No Mercy), dies at 42
1949 Hanns A Rauter German SS-commandant in Netherlands, executed at 54
1951 Edward Collins Hall of Fame infielder (White Sox, A's), dies at 63
1954 Gertrud Bäumer writer, dies
1956 George Luther Foote composer, dies at 70
1956 Robert Newton actor (Henry V, Odd Man Out), dies at 50
1957 Fud Livingston composer, dies at 50
1958 Emerson Whithorne composer, dies at 73
1959 Billy Mayerl composer, dies at 56
1962 Auguste Piccard Swiss explorer/balloonist, dies at 78
1963 David Moore US feather weight boxer, dies at 29
1965 Giorgio Federico Ghedini composer, dies at 72
1965 Viola Gregg Liuzzo US civil rights activist, murdered
1966 Colin Campbell actor (Leather Boys), dies at 83
1968 Douglas Evans actor (South Pacific Trail), dies in Hollywood
1969 Alan Mowbray actor (Dante, Colonel Flack), dies at 72
1969 Max F Eastman US critic/essayist (Love & Revolution), dies at 86
1969 Norman Gallichan cricketer (one Test for New Zealand, 30 & 2, 3-113), dies
1973 Edward Steichen pioneer of American photography, dies at 92
1974 Otto Waldis actor (Unknown World, Whip Hand), dies at 72
1975 King Faisal of Saudi Arabia shot to death by his nephew
1978 Jack Hulbert actor (Bulldog Jack), dies at 85
1979 ... Sykes British ambassador in The Hague, murdered
1979 Anton Heiller composer, dies at 55
1983 Martha Sleeper actress (Spitfire), dies of a heart attack at 72
1987 Henry R LaBouisse headed UNICEF (1965-79), dies at 83
1991 Eileen Joyce pianist, dies at 78
1991 Lee Donn pianist, dies of stroke at 96
1992 Nancy Walker actress (Ida Morgenstern-Rhoda), dies of cancer at 69
1992 Noémie Perugia French mezzo soprano, dies
1994 David Miles Bensuan-Butt Economist , dies at 79
1994 Michel R Vassallucci French/Netherlands publisher (Arena), dies at 32
1995 James Gardner designer, dies at 87
1995 Peter Herbert Penwarden priest, dies at 73
1995 Warren E Burger chief justice of US (1969-86), dies
1996 John Derrick Mordaunt Snagge news commentator (BBC), dies at 91
1997 Roberto Sanchez Vilella Governor of Puerto Rico in (1965-69), dies

---

On this day...
0001 Origin of Dionysian Incarnation of the Word
0031 1st Easter, according to calendar-maker Dionysius Exiguus
0421 Friday at 12 Prime Minister: city of Venice founded
0708 Constantine begins his reign as Catholic Pope
0752 Stephen ends his reign as Catholic Pope (or 26th)
1133 William the Conqueror orders 1st Domesday Survey of England
1306 Robert the Bruce crowned king of Scotland
1409 Council of Pisa opens
1571 Catholic Italian businessman Roberto Ridolfi leaves Enngeland
1581 Portugese Cortes calls Philip II king of Portugal
1584 Sir Walter Raleigh renews Humphrey Gilbert's patent to explore North America
1598 Cornelis de Houtman's fleet departs for East-Indies
1609 Henry Hudson embarks on an exploration for Dutch East India Co
1634 Lord Baltimore founded Catholic colony of Maryland
1647 Cape of Good Hope; tour ship Haerlem stranded in Tafel Bay
1655 Christiaan Huygens discovers Titan, (Saturn's largest satellite)
1668 1st horse race in America takes place
1669 Mount Etna in Sicily erupts, destroying Nicolosi, killing 20,000
1700 England, France & Netherlands ratify 2nd Extermination treaty
1753 Voltaire leaves the court of Frederik II of Prussia
1774 English Parliament passes Boston Port Bill
1776 Continental Congress authorizes a medal for General George Washington
1802 France, Netherlands, Spain & England signs Peace of Amiens
1807 1st railway passenger service began in England
1807 British Parliament abolishes slave trade
1807 George Canning becomes British minister of Foreign affairs
1813 1st US flag flown in battle on the Pacific, frigate Essex
1814 Netherlands Bank established
1817 Tsar Alexander I recommends formation of Society of Israeli Christians
1820 Greece freedom revolt against anti Ottoman attack
1821 Greece gains independence from Turkey (National Day)
1847 Pope Pius IX encyclical "On aid for Ireland"
1852 Friedrich Hebbel's "Agnes Bernauer" premieres in Munich
1856 A E Burnside patents Burnside carbine
1857 Frederick Laggenheim takes 1st photo of a solar eclipse
1863 1st Army Medal of Honor awarded
1863 Skirmish at Brentwood TN
1864 Battle of Paducah KY (Forrest's raid)
1865 Battle of Bluff Spring FL
1865 Battle of Fort Stedman VA: in front of Petersburg
1865 Battle of Mobile AL (Spanish Fort, Fort Morgan, Fort Blakely)
1865 SS General Lyon at Cape Hatteras catches fire & sinks, killing 400
1876 Glasgow 1st soccer match Scotland-Wales (4-0)
1882 1st demonstration of pancake making (Department store in New York NY)
1888 Socialist leader Domela Nieuwenhuis elected to Dutch 2nd chamber
1889 1st Test Cricket match played at Newlands, Cape Town vs England
1894 Coxey's Army of the unemployed sets out from Massillon OH for Washington DC
1895 Italian troops invade Abyssinia (Ethiopia)
1896 Modern Olympics begin in Athens Greece
1898 Intercollegiate Trapshooting Association formed in New York NY
1900 US Socialist Party is formed at Indianapolis
1901 55 die as Rock Island train derailed near Marshalltown IA
1902 Irving W Colburn patents sheet glass drawing machine
1905 Rebel battle flags captured during war are returned to South
1907 Stanley Cup: Montréal Wanderers lose to Kenora Thistles but outscore them in 2 game set but outscore them 12-8 and win cup
1910 Chalmers Auto Co offers a new car to each leagues' batting champion
1911 146 die in a fire at Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York NY
1911 L D Swamikannu publishes "Manual of Indian Chronology" in Bombay
1913 Great Dayton Flood
1913 Home of vaudeville, Palace Theatre, opens (New York NY) starring Ed Wynn
1915 1st submarine disaster; a US F-4 sank off Hawaii, killing 21
1915 German U boat torpedoes Netherlands merchant ship Medea
1916 Heavyweight Jess Willard & Franc Moran fight to no decision in 10 for boxing title (New York NY)
1916 Women are allowed to attend a boxing match
1920 Greek Independence Day
1923 British government grants Trans-Jordan autonomy
1924 Greek parliament selects Admiral Paul Koundouriótis as premier
1924 Stanley Cup: Montréal Canadiens (NHL) sweep Calgary Tigers (WCHL) in 2 (2nd of 1924)
1931 Hal Kemp & his Orchestra record Whistles, with Skinnay Ennis
1931 Scottsboro Boys (accused of raping a white woman) arrested in Alabama
1934 1st Golf Masters Championship: Horton Smith wins, shooting a 284
1934 Horton Smith win 1st Masters golf championship
1935 1st Belgium government of Van Zealand resigns
1936 Detroit Red Wings beat Montréal Maroons in NHL longest game (2 hours 56 minutes 30 seconds)
1937 Italy & Yugoslavia sign no-attack treaty (Pact of Belgrade)
1937 It's revealed Quaker Oats pays Babe Ruth $25,000 per year for ads
1937 Lionel Conacher misses on 1st Stanley Cup penalty shot
1937 Washington Daily News is 1st US newspaper with perfumed advertising page
1938 1st US bred horse (Battleship) to win Grand National Steeplechase
1939 Billboard Magazine introduces hillbilly (country) music chart
1941 Carolina Paprika Mills, Dillon SC, incorporated
1942 700 Jews of Polish Lvov-district reach Belzec Concentration camp
1943 97% of all Dutch physicians strike againt Nazi registration
1943 Jimmy Durante & Garry Moore premiere on radio
1944 Germany troop executes 335 residents of Rome
1944 RAF Sergeant Nickolas Alkemade survives a jump from his Lancaster bomber from 18,000 feet without a parachute
1945 US 1st army breaks out bridgehead near Remagen
1945 US 4th Armored division arrives at Hanau & Aschaffenburg
1945 US Northern Tractor Flotilla departs Ulithi to Okinawa
1946 1st performance of Igor Stravinsky's "Ebony Concerto"
1947 9th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Holy Cross beats Oklahoma 58-47
1947 Agreement of Linggadjati ratified in Batavia
1947 Coal mine explosion in Centralia IL, claims 111 lives
1947 Last day of Test cricket for Walter Hammond (v New Zealand, Christchurch)
1949 SS police chief Rauter request for a pardon, denied
1951 5th Tony Awards: Guys & Dolls & Rose Tattoo win
1951 E Purcell & EM Ewen detect 21-cm radiation at Harvard physics lab
1954 26th Academy Awards: "From Here to Eternity", William Holden & Audrey Hepburn win
1954 Pope Pius XII encyclical "Sacra virginitas" (On consecrated virginity)
1954 RCA manufactures 1st color TV set (12½" screen at $1,000)
1955 East Germany granted full sovereignty by occupying power, USSR
1957 NBA modifies the free-throw rule
1957 Treaty of Rome establishes European Economic Community (Common Market)
1958 Sugar Ray Robinson is 1st boxing champion to win 5 times
1958 West German parliament desires German atomic weapons
1959 Bill White traded to St Louis for pitchers Sam Jones & Don Choate
1959 French President De Gaulle acknowledges Oder-Neisse boundary
1960 1st guided missile launched from nuclear powered sub (Halibut)
1960 DH Lawrence' "Lady Chatterley's Lover" ruled not obscene (New York NY)
1960 Ford Frick voids Indians-Red Sox deal as Sam White retires
1960 Italian government Tambroni forms
1961 "13 Daughters" closes at 54th St Theater NYC after 28 performances
1961 "Gypsy" closes at Broadway Theater NYC after 702 performances
1961 23rd NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: Cincinnati beats Ohio State 70-65 (OT)
1961 3rd place game is one of the wildest contests in NCAA Tournament history as St Joseph's defeats Utah 127-120 in 4 overtimes
1961 Elvis Presley performs live on the USS Arizona
1961 Explorer 10 launched into elongated Earth orbit (177/181,000 km)
1961 Sputnik 10 carries a dog into Earth orbit; later recovered
1962 "Family Affair" closes at Billy Rose Theater NYC after 65 performances
1962 French OAS-leader ex-General Jouhaud arrested
1963 KWHY TV channel 22 in Los Angeles CA (IND) begins broadcasting
1964 Britain sets memorial for the late President John F Kennedy
1964 Egypt ends state of siege (1952-64)
1965 Martin Luther King Jr led 25,000 to state capitol in Montgomery AL
1965 West German Bondsdag extends war crimes retribution
1966 Beatles pose with mutilated dolls & butchered meat for the cover of the "Yesterday & Today" album, It is later pulled
1966 US Supreme court rules "poll tax" unconstitutional
1967 29th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: UCLA beats Dayton 79-64
1967 The Turtles' "Happy Together" goes #1
1967 UCLA wins its 3rd national basketball championship in 4 years
1967 USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakhstan/Semipalitinsk USSR
1967 Who & Cream make US debut at Murray the K's Easter Show
1968 KLVX TV channel 10 in Las Vegas NV (PBS) begins broadcasting
1968 US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
1969 Andes Pact signed in Peru
1969 John & Yoko stage their 1st bed-in for peace (Amsterdam)
1969 Pakistan General Agha Mohammed Jagja Khan succeeds Ayub Chan as President
1970 Concorde makes its 1st supersonic flight (700 MPH/1,127 KPH)
1971 Boston Patriots become New England Patriots
1971 European council accepts Mansholt plan laying off 5 million farmers
1971 Tom Jones' "She's a Lady" goes gold
1972 "Selling of the President" closes at Shubert Theater NYC after 5 performances
1972 34th NCAA Men's Basketball Championship: UCLA beats Florida 81-76; UCLA's 6th consecutive national basketball title
1972 America's LP "America" goes #1
1972 Bobby Hull becomes the 2nd NHLer to score 600 goals
1973 27th Tony Awards: That Championship Season & Little Night Music win
1973 Carol Mann wins LPGA Sears Women's Golf Classic
1973 Majid Khan & Mushtaq Mohammad both out for 99 in Test vs England
1974 Barbra Streisand records the album "Butterfly"
1975 Faisal ibn Abd al-Aziz, king of Saudi-Arabia (1964-75), shot by nephew
1976 "My Fair Lady" opens at St James Theater NYC for 384 performances
1976 "Rex" opens at Lunt-Fontaine Theater NYC for 48 performances
1976 Argentine military junta bans leftist political parties
1979 Major riot at Bourda prevents day's play in WSC Supertest
1979 Nancy Lopez wins LPGA Sahara National Pro-Am Golf Tournament
1982 Wayne Gretzky becomes 1st NHL to score 200 points in a season
1983 Christa Rothenburger skates world record 500 meter ladies (39.69 seconds)
1983 Pavel Pegov skates world record 1000 meter (1:12.58)
1984 Betsy King wins LPGA Women's Kemper Golf Open
1985 57th Academy Awards: "Amadeus", F Murray Abraham & Sally Field win
1985 Edwin Meese III becomes US Attorney General
1986 Supreme Court rules Air Force could ban wearing of yarmulkes
1987 Supreme Court rules women/minorities may get jobs if less qualified
1988 "Les Miserables" opens at Chunichi Theatre, Nagoya Japan
1988 NASA launches space vehicle S-206
1988 Robin Givens demands full access to husband Mike Tyson's money
1989 "Les Miserables" opens at Auditorium Theatre, Chicago
1990 "Lettice & Lovage" opens at Barrymore Theater NYC for 284 performances
1990 10th Golden Raspberry Awards: Star Trek V wins
1990 Fire in illegal NYC social club, kills 87
1990 Pat Bradley wins LPGA Standard Register Turquoise Golf Classic
1991 63rd Academy Awards: "Dance with Wolves", Jeremy Irons & Kathy Bates win
1991 Allan Border takes 5-68 vs West Indies at Bourda (!), Georgetown
1992 British scientists find new largest perfect number (2 756839 -1 2 756839)
1992 Imran Khan scores 72 & takes 1-43 off 6 2 overs in last ODI
1992 Pakistan defeats England by 22 runs to win World Cup
1992 Russian manned space craft TM-14, lands
1993 "Candida" opens at Criterion Theater NYC for 45 performances
1994 Gunda Niemann skates ladies world record 3 km (4:09.32)
1994 Yasunori Miyabe skates world record 1000 meter (1:12.37)
1995 Boxer Mike Tyson released from jail after serving 3 years
1996 68th Academy Awards: "Braveheart", Nicholas Cage & Susan Sarandon win
1996 Comet C/1996 B2 (Hyakutake) approaches within 0.1018 astronomical units (AUs) of Earth
1996 Freedom Shoemakers on Maryport's Solway Estate closes
1996 US issues newly-redesigned $100 bill
1996 World Ice Dance Championship in Edmonton won by Gritshuk & Platov (Russia)
1996 World Ice Pairs Figure Skating Championship in Edmonton won by Eltsova & Bushkov (Russia)
1996 World Ladies Figure Skating Championship in Edmonton won by Michelle Kwan (USA)
1996 World Men's Figure Skating Championship in Edmonton won by Todd Eldredge (USA)
1997 "Barrymore" opens at Music Box Theater NYC for 240 performances
1997 Indians trade Lofton & Embree to Braves for Grissom & Justice

---

Holidays
Note: Some Holidays are only applicable on a given "day of the week"

England : New Year's Day 1155-1752
Greece : Independence Day (1821)
Maryland : Maryland Day (1634)
US : Pecan Day
Alaska : Seward Day (1867) - - - - - ( Monday )
US Virgin Island : Transfer Day (1917) - - - - - ( Monday )

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Religious Observances
Christian : Commemoration of St Margaret Clitherow, English martyr
Roman Catholic : Commemoration of St Lucy Filippini, Italian educator

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Religious History
1 Roman Church historian Dionysius Exiguus (ca.500_550), in calculating his history of the Christian Church, took this day as the supposed date of the Annunciation. March 25th afterward became the first day of the calendar year, until the Gregorian Calendar Reform of 1753 changed the day to January 1st.
1533 During one of his recorded "Table Talks," German reformer Martin Luther declared: 'That the Creator himself comes to us and becomes our ransom - this is the reason for our rejoicing.'
1634 The Catholic Church gained a foothold in colonial America when the ships "Dove" and "Ark" arrived in Maryland with 128 Catholic colonists, selected by Cecilius Calvert, second Lord Baltimore. The colony was under the leadership of Leonard Calvert, Lord Baltimore's brother.
1951 American missionary and martyr Jim Elliot reflected in his journal: 'When it comes time to die, make sure that all you have to do is die.'
1953 A group of 22 Southern Baptist military personnel, stationed at Rapid City, met to form the Calvary Baptist Church , the first Southern Baptist congregation established in South Dakota.

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Thought for the day :
" Every anarchist is a baffled dictator. "

[Soaring Feather]

Good Morning SAM!

[GailA]

Morning FRiends

Today's graphic

[Darksheare]

I seem to remember reading somewhere that the dogs they used during 'Nam were simply left to their fates when we left.

I'm hoping it isn't true.
Currently trying to remember where I read it at.
Will toss it out there if and when I do pull that info out of the black hole I call a brain.

[aomagrat]

Today's classic warship, USS Letter B (SP-732)

Letter B class motor-boat
Displacement. Not recorded
Lenght. 40'
Beam. Not recorded
Draft. Not recorded
Speed. Not recorded
Complement. Not recorded
Armament. Not recorded

Letter B, a 40-foot motor boat, was built at Bayonne, New Jersey, in 1912 as a civilian pleasure craft. The Navy acquired her on 7 May 1917 and placed her in commission as USS Letter B (SP-732) on 20 October 1917. Based at Norfolk, Virginia, she served throughout World War I as a patrol boat and aircraft tender. No longer required after the end of the conflict, Letter B was returned to her owner on 29 April 1919. Fate unknown.

[Valin]

http://www.vdhaonline.org/Dogman/archives.asp


Tony Montoya
981 st MP
1971 - 72


Some Dogs Brought Back Home
Patches, M808, was going home...back to the States..I couldn't believe it! When I asked to be transferred from Cam Ranh Bay I never thought it would end up that way.
The heavy use of drugs in Cam Ranh in 1971 was getting to me. I didn't indulge myself, but many others did and it made it dangerous on the perimeter. The guards in the bunkers and towers behind me would get so freaked out on drugs they would shoot at anything that moved...including me and Patches.
Then one night, at the EM Club at Dong Ba Thin, across the bay from Cam Ranh, a drugged out soldier sprayed the club with M-16 fire. I hit the floor, thinking I didn't want to die this way...not by a druggie, in a bar...hell I didn't want to die at all.
I stayed on the floor, looking through the broken chairs and tables to see where the crazy man was and I could see that the guy next to me had been hit. He was bleeding all over. I pulled closer to him to see if I could help. The druggie was overcome by someone and taken away. The bleeding man next to me died in my arms...three other Americans were killed in that EM Club that night. I had to get out of this place...NOW!
Two weeks later, I got my wish. Patches and I were transferred from Cam Ranh to the Dog Training Detachment at Bien Hoa. I was told I would be involved in the reassignment of American dogs. The U.S. was pulling out and we all knew the dogs couldn't go home, so we assumed they would be put to sleep. Dogs from all over Vietnam were sent there to be evaluated and examined. That is when I found out that some of them would be going home, as long as they passed all of the tests.
"Hey Sarg," I asked, "I thought our dogs couldn't go home?" "Yeah, but I guess the orders are to try to send some home, if we can," he replied. I found out later that some Congressmen had been pushing to bring all of the dogs home. (See Kilo-9)
There must have been 150 dogs at the Detachment. The kennel was full and we had two other stake-down areas full of dogs. The dogs were placed in quarantine for about a month. Then each dog was dipped in Malathion, his teeth were cleaned and he was evaluated by the veterinarians. They were looking for anything that might be wrong with the dogs.
Slowly the dogs were weeded out. Most were transferred to the ARVN. I hated to see that. It was really strange. We drove the dogs over to the ARVN side of the base at Bien Hoa, along with a whole truck load of horse meat. When we got there, to hand the dogs over, none of the ARVN wanted to come close to the dogs. We had to get the dogs off the trucks ourselves and take them to their stake down area. The Vietnamese were so small. The dogs were bigger than they were and the ARVN were pretty scared. Eventually, one of the ARVN officers took control of the situation and the dogs. We drove back to our side of the base wondering what would become of those dogs.
Almost all of the dogs not transferred to the ARVN were put to sleep. They were the dogs that had something wrong with them or were too old to be transferred. In the end, out of about 150 dogs, we were left with just 35. Patches had made the cut and was going home. I can not express in words how I felt when I saw his name on the list of dogs to be sent home. Captain, the dog of my best friend, Paul Christopherson, was going home too.
In late February, I was awaken from a deep sleep by my sergeant. "Hey Montoya, the handler who was going to take the dogs home can't do it...he's leavin' before the dogs do. Do you want to take them home." I woke up quick. I thought for a moment. " Well, not really. I mean I want to take 'em home, but I am afraid of going to the States and then coming back here. Sarg, I am not supposed to get out of here until June. You know they aren't going to give me an early out." Sarg smiled and said, "We'll see."
On February 22, 1972, I got my orders. They read " Following individual will proceed on TEMPORARY DUTY as indicated and will return to permanent station upon completion of temporary duty. Temporary duty at CONUS. Will proceed on or about March 3, 1972 for approximately 2 days to transport excess military working dogs to CONUS." I could also take a two week leave and I was told, verbally, that I would not be returning to Vietnam. They said I would spend the rest of my time in the Army in the States. This was it, I was going home, and Patches was going with me!
Early on the morning of March 3, we began loading up our 35 dogs into their shipping crates and then onto the big C-141 headin' home. We were to be the only cargo. The shipping crates were the kennel type, a door on one end, three rows of holes on all sides and a slot to feed and water them through on the right side. Our CO was new, a LT who was with a tank company before being transferred to the Dog Training Detachment. He was a West Point grad and his job was purely administrative. He didn't know anything about dogs. Had never touched one. But...the cameras from Stars and Stripes were there. "Tony," he said, sort of sheepishly. "Muzzle up one of your dogs. The photographers want a picture of me and a dog." Right I thought, I am sure they want a picture of you. The handlers are doing all the work and are the only ones qualified to handle the dogs, but of course it makes more sense to have the CO with the dog. I grabbed Dogie, who was the tamest of the dogs. To this day, I wish I had picked a different one. I muzzled him and walked him over to the LT. He took the leash, and pushed Dogie into the shipping crate. The photographers took their pictures and the LT made it into the S & S. Ah, but it wasn't the last I would see of an officers intellect.
I was walking back from the plane when a full-bird called out to me. "Specialist!" he snapped, pointing at my handler's equipment hanging from my web belt "You can't take that stuff home with you." "Sir," I replied. "On this flight I am the only handler aboard. If something happens and one of the dogs gets loose I am the only one that will be able to keep him off the pilot's throat." Looking a little bewildered, he sort of looked around to see if anyone had heard him make such a stupid mistake. "OK soldier. I guess that makes sense." He swiftly departed the scene.
When we finished loading the plane, three of us, the veterinarian, Captain Rubert Haight, SSgt. Joe Palmer and I got on and the big tail door closed. We took off before noon. We were going home!
We went through Clark AFB, in the Philippines, then Yokohama, then onto McChord AFB in Washington state, and finally down to Lackland. In Yokohama we had the chance to get off the plane. Man, was it cold. There was SNOW on the ground! I ran into the terminal to clean up in the bathroom. When I got to the bathroom all I could see was OD green. There was a long line of marines behind each basin. They were heading home from Okinawa and Japan. I stood in the doorway in my jungle fatigues, a green towel around my neck and a shaving kit in my hand. A Marine first sergeant came up to me. "Soldier," he asked. "Did you just come in from 'Nam?" "Yep," I replied. " I am taking some of our dogs home to the States." He looked at me, and probably smelled me too, and yelled, "OK, give this guy some room. He's just in from 'Nam and needs to clean up." One entire line moved..leaving a basin completely empty so I could wash. He said to me, loud enough for all to hear, "Those dogs sure saved a lot of lives. Good to see some of them are going home." That moment was the best "homecoming" one could ever hope for. On the flight home, I talked to Patches a lot, but he was out of it most of the time. The dogs were drugged by the vet so there would be no problems during the flight. There were none. The only thing we had to do was make sure they had water and they didn't choke on something. We did not feed them during the 33 hour flight and that is probably for the best. Even at that the whole plane smelled pretty bad. I tried sleeping in the jump seats, but finally gave up and slept on the plane's steel floor.
As soon as we landed at Lackland some handlers from the training center came on board. One handler wanted to know which dogs were the toughest to handle when another guy bragged, "No problem, there is no dog too tough for us." With that I walked off the plane got in a truck and drove away.
After a two week leave, I was ordered back to Vietnam. I knew all along the promises made to me would be broken. They always were. On the plane back I got more than a few stares from all the green troops going to Vietnam. There I was wearing faded and worn-out jungle fatigues..out of uniform I know, but I sure as heck didn't care.
When I got back in-country, they had no idea what to do with me. They thought I was going to stay in the States. I went to Cam Ranh and for the next month waited to go back home.
To this day, I am happy and proud that I was chosen to take some of our dogs home. I can also rest with the fact that Patches came home, but I will always regret that I never got the chance to say good-bye to him while he was awake. He was my closest friend and companion during a very adverse time. I am glad to say that Patches was a part of my life, and I am proud to say they I was able to be a part of his. I miss him.

[SAMWolf]

1966 Beatles pose with mutilated dolls & butchered meat for the cover of the "Yesterday & Today" album, It is later pulled

NOw there's a collector's item!

[SAMWolf]

Morning Feather

[SAMWolf]

Good Graphic today GailA, fits right in.

[SAMWolf]

Unfortunately in most cases it was tru.

[Valin]

So much for the old Beatles good, Stones bad "controversy".

[SAMWolf]

LOL! The didn't keep a lot of data on her did they?

[SAMWolf]

Good story Valin. Nice to see some made it home.