In my blog about King Mickey, I told the story of a Marine Corps bulldog during World War II. Bulldogs aren’t the only dog with ties to the Marines. In WWII the Marines needed dogs for combat as “scouts” on patrol or as sentries when dug in, to warn our troops of the approach of the enemy. In 1942, the Marines decided to use Doberman Pinschers supplied by the United Doberman Club as their combat dog, and after training 21 Doberman Pinschers (and 3 German Shepherds) were sent to the Pacific in late 1943. They saved many lives, as they could detect the presence of the enemy several hundred yards away. In one instance, the dogs detected the presence of Japanese troops one half mile away. NEXT: Dobermans Flunk Out of the War.
