On this day, 1942, Secretary of War Robert P. Patterson signed a letter that authorized the Quartermaster General to officially induct dogs into the war effort. By autumn of 1942, a K-9 training center was established at Fort Robinson, Nebraska, where thousands of dogs were trained for war duty and were used to guard facilities, carry messages, sniff out mines, and pull sleds—training lasted between 8 and 12 weeks. Proving to be especially successful during combat, the war dogs were considered a special weapon and were instrumental in saving numerous lives in the line of fire.
Posted on: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 19:29:00 +0000