I found the following story about a Marine and the dog that loved him in AARP magazine. It will make you cry and it certainly will make you see the bond that can develop between one person and one dog. In the end, I think you will smile through your tears.
From Tails of Love in AARP Magazine:
The rocket came in fast, maybe 900 feet per second—too fast for anyone to sound the warning siren, and much too fast for all the troops of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force to take cover. It was March 21, 2007, when the 73-millimeter insurgent-launched rocket exploded inside their base in the Al Anbar province of Iraq, right next to Corporal Dustin Jerome Lee and his canine partner, Lex. Lee, a 20-year-old Mississippi native, was gravely wounded by the blast. Lex—a German shepherd trained to sniff out hidden explosives—was also injured, his brown and black fur burned, shrapnel lodged in his back and spine.
Marines on the scene watched as the bleeding Lex climbed on top of Corporal Lee to protect him from further harm. They saw Lex try to revive his master by licking his wounds. And the Marines who rushed to their comrade’s side had to peel Lex reluctantly off the young corporal so medics could try to save him. But Corporal Lee’s injuries were too severe; he died at a nearby military hospital.
Read the rest of this touching story here http://www.aarpmagazine.org/lifestyle/tails_of_love.html
While hearing stories of heroic dogs like Lex are compelling, let’s not forget the work of every day dogs, cats and other pets. We all know one special critter and some of us are lucky enough to share our lives with more than one.
I hope you enjoyed the story of Lex. What a great dog and a good soldier to boot. German Shepherd Dogs have shown us time and time again what a singularly brave and intelligent breed they are. From sniffing out bombs and contraband, searching for survivors, serving in the military and in law enforcement, we all know the story of the German Shepherd Dog breed.
Many of us have been fortunate enough to know a GSD on a very personal level. Once you make a bond with one of these dogs it is for life. I can tell you from personal experience that long after the dog is gone the bond is still there in the heart of the human who shared their life and you still miss them. So I dedicate this post to Rex, Babe and Baron.
