Fallen Marine’s military dog wanted.....

[nhboy]

Family wants fallen Marine’s military dog

"When Cpl. Dustin Jerome Lee’s personal effects were shipped to his childhood home in Mississippi after his death in Iraq last spring, his family found some typical items — a laptop computer, a pair of glasses and a few photos from home.

But they also found some things not every Marine would have — several dog toys, a harness and a short, knotted piece of rope, gnawed and frayed at the ends.

Lee was a 20-year-old dog handler who spent the final months of his life with a German shepherd named Lex at his side. They were on a mission together on March 21 when a rocket-propelled grenade killed Lee. As the young Marine lay dying on a street in Fallujah, the dog nudged his handler’s face, then lay loyally at his side while a corpsman treated his fatal wounds, several Marines told his family."

Family wants fallen Marine’s military dog - Navy News, opinions, editorials, news from Iraq, photos, reports - Navy Times

 

[Kain99]

Doen't the military own the dog?

 

[nhboy]

Doen't the military own the dog?

Yes, they do.

From the article:
"The laws covering adoption of military dogs have evolved in recent years. During the Vietnam War, thousands of dogs were abandoned or euthanized when U.S. troops withdrew. Virtually none came home.

For decades, the military considered the dogs to be “equipment” and had no process for adopting them after they “retired.” That changed in 2000, when President Clinton signed a law allowing adoptions once the dogs could no longer perform their duties."

Further:
In 2005, Congress heard the story of Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jamie Dana, who suffered nearly fatal injuries and asked to adopt her bomb-sniffing dog. President Bush signed a law permitting early adoptions for the individual troops who have worked with the dog."


The family probably has a good chance to adopt. You can sign a petition at their website if you want, I have.

Retire Lex to Cpl Lee's Family

 

[nhboy]

Lex: Bomb-sniffing dog retires

Bomb-sniffing dog granted early retirement

"SAVANNAH, Ga. - Marine Cpl. Dustin Jerome Lee and his German shepherd, Lex, scoured Iraq for roadside bombs together, slept next to each other and even posed in Santa hats for a holiday photo.

When a mortar attack killed the 20-year-old Marine in Fallujah a few months later, Lex, whimpering from his own injuries, had to be pulled away, Lee's father was told."

Bomb-sniffing dog retires early - Military - MSNBC.com