05/24/2024
Memorial Day Special: Remembering the Devil Dogs
The inscription on the back of this photo from the AKC Gazette collection reads: “Technical Sergeant Thomas Gately, USMCR, of Wilton, Conn., a well-known professional dog handler who has given up the sport and is now training Devil Dogs for Uncle Sam’s Marines.” Among other fanciers of the day who served with the K-9 Corps were Bob Forsyth and Henry Stoecker.
In the 1940s when Doberman Pinschers became war dogs — Devil Dogs — they were a new breed to most people in the United States. Wherever the Marine Devil Dogs went, they attracted the curious attention of people who had heard about the sleek and powerful breed but never had seen them. On Guam, the people who lived through the Japanese occupation remember the Devil Dogs as “the Dobermans” or “ah, the Dobermans,” because they remember how valuable they were in the liberation of their island home.
The Marines landed on Bougainville, the largest island in the Solomons, on November 1, 1943. The 24 canine members of the First Marine Dog Platoon was sent ashore just one hour after the first Marines hit the beach, under heavy mortar and rifle fire and were dispatched to various companies according to prearranged plans.
During WWII, approximately 75 percent of dogs used during combat were Doberman Pinschers, with 25 percent German Shepherds. Through a nonprofit organization, Dogs for Defense, the public could loan their family dogs to the Marine Corps. The Doberman Pinscher Club of America also supplied many of the war dogs.
The dogs used signals to alert the soldiers of Japanese presence as they were trained not to bark. The dogs could detect a human scent up to one-half mile away. … Each of the seven War Dog platoons fought in various locations in the Pacific during WWII, including Guam, Okinawa, and Guadalcanal.
In August 1945, the War Dog platoons were disbanded. Many of the dogs were retrained for civilian life and sent back to their families, while several remained with their handlers. There were 1,047 dogs enlisted during the war, with 465 serving in combat. Twenty-five dogs died during service in the Pacific during the war.
Through of the efforts of Dr. William W. Putney, a WWII veteran and commander of the 3rd War Dog Platoon, the first War Dog Memorial, a life-size bronze of a Doberman Pinscher, was unveiled on the U.S. Naval Base on Guam during the 50th anniversary of the liberation of that island. (Story gathered from various online sources)
AKC Gazette: https://www.akc.org/products-services/magazines/akc-gazette/
