Warning! War Dogs: Tales of Canine Heroism, History, and Love, by Rebecca Frankel is a challenging read. No surprise, given the title. :-) Scary, powerful, sad, amazing ... I found it easier to read about war dogs from the past rather than those who are working right now. These dogs and their human partners are like first responders ... they run toward the danger. I'll admit right here that I skipped the chapter on the fallen. There was an interesting discussion on whether or not dogs can suffer a canine form of PTSD. A tough read, yes, but well written, too.

Some heroes have four legs and you can read about one of them in The Dog Who Could Fly: the Incredible True Story of a WWII Airman and the Four-Legged Hero Who Flew At His Side, by Damien Lewis. Working with both Robert Bozdech's handwritten memoirs, and his children, the author recreates the story of this amazing partnership. Even after all the books I've read I can still be amazed and awed by what a dog will do for the person he loves.

Enlisting in the Marines so he could fight the Japanese, Bill Putney was instead assigned to the Dog Corps because he was also a licensed veterinarian. As Commanding Officer of the 3rd War Dog Platoon he trained the men and dogs and later led them in the invasion of Guam. Initially met with scorn and indifference, the dog platoon soon proved it's value. (With the dogs on patrol, more than 500 scouting missions were never ambushed). When he learned that at the end of the war the dogs were to be destroyed, he refused and initiated the first "detraining" program that allowed the dogs to be returned to civilian life (often with 'their' soldiers). Always Faithful: a Memoir of the Marine Dogs of WWII, by Captain William W. Putney is a moving read.

And, lastly, a novel about a war dog: A Man of His Own, by Susan Wilson. This is a story of how World War II changed four lives. At the center is one amazing dog, Pax. Remember when it takes place ... before we understood much about PTSD, survivor's guilt, and more (I don't want to say too much here) ;-) (I had a hard time understanding how the decision could be made to send a loved dog off to war, but again, I tried to remember the time period).

Other books about war dogs may be found on the posts of September 14, 2014 and June 16 and July 11 of 2015.

Reading Hermit With Dog