Through out the ages war has been a reality to every generation. I remember as a kid reading stories about some of the heroes who served in wars. I know many were awarded medals and many were awarded medals either in person or posthumusly.
My father, who served overseas, rarely talked about his experiences. However, the canines had a power over him.
My love for animals started at my inception I'm sure. They have always given me a reason to be grateful.
Thank you for bringing the heroes home, furry and human.
V
The HEROES Come HomeFeatured in the October issue of Cesar's Way Magazine
By foiling a Taliban bomber, they went from Afghan strays to beloved American pets
With three dogs, Chris and Lauren Duke might have felt they already had a full house. But when a Collie mix named Rufus showed up at the end of July, they welcomed him with open arms. After all, if it hadn’t been for Rufus, Chris Duke might not be alive to hold the baby he and Lauren are expecting in January.
On the night of February 11, Duke, 27, was a National Guard sergeant stationed in Afghanistan’s Paktika Province, looking forward to the end of his deployment with the 48th Infantry Brigade. Rufus—the same Rufus who’s now stretched out on the carpet in the Dukes’ living room in Georgia—was there too, part of a small pack of stray dogs that had attached themselves to the GIs. “They were just a couple of random mutts who wandered in,” says Duke.
Those mutts, however, turned out to be lifesavers. Unknown to the 50 or so soldiers in the compound, a Taliban suicide bomber carrying 25 pounds of C-4 explosive had infiltrated their perimeter and was about to enter their living quarters. Had he succeeded, the result would have been bloody mayhem.
But the would-be bomber was challenged by three of the strays—Rufus, Target, and Sasha—who went after him, snapping, snarling, and biting. Panicked, the bomber detonated his explosives in a doorway. Duke, who was about 75 feet away, was one of five GIs wounded. All survived, as did Rufus and Target, although the dogs were seriously wounded, Sasha so badly that she had to be put down immediately. And Target soon went into labor, giving birth to five puppies.
Evacuated to a trauma center, Duke found himself worrying about the dogs who had saved him and his comrades. “There isn’t a doubt in my mind that those dogs saved my life,” he says. He consulted an army veterinarian (there to care for military dogs), who relayed instructions to the medics of the 48th. They undertook the job of taking care of the wounded dogs—and Target’s puppies.
Fully recovered from his wounds, and with his tour of duty over, Duke came home to Georgia, where he’s a full-time firefighter and also owns a lawn care business. But the dogs’ heroism wasn’t forgotten—not by him and not by Anna Maria Cannan, whose fiancé, Army Specialist Chris Chiasson, took over the care of the surviving dogs.
My father, who served overseas, rarely talked about his experiences. However, the canines had a power over him.
My love for animals started at my inception I'm sure. They have always given me a reason to be grateful.
Thank you for bringing the heroes home, furry and human.
V
The HEROES Come HomeFeatured in the October issue of Cesar's Way Magazine
By foiling a Taliban bomber, they went from Afghan strays to beloved American pets
With three dogs, Chris and Lauren Duke might have felt they already had a full house. But when a Collie mix named Rufus showed up at the end of July, they welcomed him with open arms. After all, if it hadn’t been for Rufus, Chris Duke might not be alive to hold the baby he and Lauren are expecting in January.
On the night of February 11, Duke, 27, was a National Guard sergeant stationed in Afghanistan’s Paktika Province, looking forward to the end of his deployment with the 48th Infantry Brigade. Rufus—the same Rufus who’s now stretched out on the carpet in the Dukes’ living room in Georgia—was there too, part of a small pack of stray dogs that had attached themselves to the GIs. “They were just a couple of random mutts who wandered in,” says Duke.
Those mutts, however, turned out to be lifesavers. Unknown to the 50 or so soldiers in the compound, a Taliban suicide bomber carrying 25 pounds of C-4 explosive had infiltrated their perimeter and was about to enter their living quarters. Had he succeeded, the result would have been bloody mayhem.
But the would-be bomber was challenged by three of the strays—Rufus, Target, and Sasha—who went after him, snapping, snarling, and biting. Panicked, the bomber detonated his explosives in a doorway. Duke, who was about 75 feet away, was one of five GIs wounded. All survived, as did Rufus and Target, although the dogs were seriously wounded, Sasha so badly that she had to be put down immediately. And Target soon went into labor, giving birth to five puppies.
Evacuated to a trauma center, Duke found himself worrying about the dogs who had saved him and his comrades. “There isn’t a doubt in my mind that those dogs saved my life,” he says. He consulted an army veterinarian (there to care for military dogs), who relayed instructions to the medics of the 48th. They undertook the job of taking care of the wounded dogs—and Target’s puppies.
Fully recovered from his wounds, and with his tour of duty over, Duke came home to Georgia, where he’s a full-time firefighter and also owns a lawn care business. But the dogs’ heroism wasn’t forgotten—not by him and not by Anna Maria Cannan, whose fiancé, Army Specialist Chris Chiasson, took over the care of the surviving dogs.
