by kramoltz@hotmail.com | Feb 28, 2020 | Animal Stories (mostly Dogs in the Military)
“Cappy” was a Doberman used by the Marines in the liberation of Guam in 1944. It wasn’t certain that Cappy would ever make it as a war dog, as the notes made by his trainers in the U.S. warned future handlers “this dog is gun shy. Not fit for combat duty … Be...
by kramoltz@hotmail.com | Dec 10, 2019 | Animal Stories (mostly Dogs in the Military)
After the events set forth in my Kurt the Doberman blog, the Marines declared Guam secure after three weeks of fighting in 1944. But some 8,000 Japanese soldiers remained, hidden in the jungle. The war dogs were asked to find them. “That’s the worst fighting you can...
by kramoltz@hotmail.com | Nov 15, 2019 | Animal Stories (mostly Dogs in the Military)
Kurt was a Doberman that landed on Guam in WWII on July 23, 1944. The next day Kurt led Marines climbing the hill above the beachhead. It was a crucial moment, as the Americans were trying to secure a foothold on the island. Kurt set out, zigzagging in front of the...
by kramoltz@hotmail.com | Sep 30, 2019 | Animal Stories (mostly Dogs in the Military)
One of the Doberman Pinchers used by the Marines in the Pacific in WWII was “Lucky”. He was used, like many of the other Dobermans, to locate Japanese snipers using the dogs’ smell, hearing and vision. During one successful mission where multiple snipers were located,...
by kramoltz@hotmail.com | Sep 4, 2018 | Animal Stories (mostly Dogs in the Military)
Although Doberman Pinchers started out as the Marines’ official combat dog, by the end of WWII they were replaced by German Shepherds (see my blog Dobermans Flunk Out of the War). An example of why Dobies were dropped is the experience of Clarence Rea when out on a...