A Marine and His Dog

BlackFive has access into the heart and soul of the brave soldiers serving over in Iraq. Here is an e-mail that touches all of the bases.

A Marine K-9 had been killed and another dog wounded earlier in the day and we were going there to pick up the dead K-9, the wounded K-9 and their Marine handlers. How these Marines were attacked, whether in contact with insurgents, a sniper or an improvised explosive device (IED), we never knew.

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What is important is ‘how’ I am here. To me, this story illuminates that “how,” by showing the nature of the Corps that makes Marines what they are, and in turn, is made what it is by the Marines devoted to it and to each other.

I am part of an organization that believed it was important enough to send two helicopters and their crews, into harms way in order to retrieve the body of one of its fallen. It made no difference that the Marine killed in action was a dog and not a man, what does matter is that each one of us involved felt the same.

To us, not only was it a warranted and reasonable utilization of Marines, Marine Corps assets and resources, but the risk to eight Marines and two aircraft was far outweighed by a pervading sense of honor, commitment and espirit de corps. Why else am I here, if not to go get a boy and his dog – both of whom are fellow Marines. Few things here have been as important as that mission to me, and to my crew as well. That’s “how” we are.

Read the whole thing.

Hat Tip BlackFive via Toe In the Water