The Paw Print team is exceptionally proud to present the July 2025 newsletter, which focuses on retired military working dogs. We are especially excited to share a piece on the critical work being done by The Ddamien Project. But July isn’t only about retirees; we are introducing our amazing new Vice President, Scott Daubert, along with several other great articles and tidbits. It’s hot outside; step inside and cool off with the July issue of The Paw Print.
June 14, 2025, is the 250th birthday celebration of the US Army. The newsletter team at the Military Working Dog Heritage Museum enthusiastically joins the rest of America in recognizing, honoring, and commemorating this important date. Please enjoy this June issue, which highlights some of the Army’s K9 history.
Our May issue focuses on the meaning and memories associated with Memorial Day. To add a softer touch, we also feature a bio piece on one amazing K9 mama, SSheila.As you read this issue of the newsletter, we ask you to remember the names of those Killed in Action.
The April newsletter focuses on the relationship between Alfred Brenner, a Marine dog handler, and his MWD Grief. Amy Winck, a new writer on our team, is touched by their stories and writes a fabulous debut piece. Don’t miss Alfred’s new book, Surviving with Grief.The museum recognizes and honors America’s Military Veterinarians ahead of World Veterinary Day on the last Saturday in April with an interview, a story, and a back page photo.Our busy museum team celebrates K9 Veterans Day in multiple ways and locations. Join us for the April issue of The Paw Print. Please investigate this issue to learn more about America’s Military Working Dog history from those involved.
Our March newsletter celebrates K9 Veterans Day on March 13th. We also salute the determined women who threw open the doors to female military working dog handlers. During WWII, the first of these ladies grasped the leash at Fort Robinson, Nebraska, paving the way for a proud and resolute team of female handlers featured on our front page. Please investigate this issue to learn more about America’s Military Working Dog history from those involved.
We love puppies, especially DoD-bred puppies from Lackland. We’re excited to share a personal look at how one foster family impacts the K9 world through their work with the puppies at Lackland’s breeding program.Well-known historian Mike Lemish shares some tales from the China-Burma-India theater of WWII. Learn how our wonderful volunteer David Adams felt when his first K9 alerted for the first time.All this and more inside the February issue!This month’s stories span the 20th century. We start a three-month series on Alaskan Sled Dogs with some great photos from before Alaska became our 49th state. We patrol an Air Base perimeter on the first night of the Tet Offensive, scour the fields of Afghanistan with a jubilant black lab, Jag, and take a walk in Osan, Korea, with the Commander-in-Chief of the Strategic Air Command.
The museum’s newsletter team is delighted to bring our readers two new features on the back page, starting with the January 2025 issue. One of our volunteers will review and share one of their favorite K9 books with our readers each month. These books will cover various eras, service branches, and decades, echoing what we present with the newsletter each month. In addition, one of our great volunteer writers, Greg Dunlap, suggested inviting supporters to submit their personal photos to feature on the back of the newsletter. If you have a US military K9 photo you’d like to share, please send it to newsletter@mwdhm.org.This month’s stories span the 20th century. We start a three-month series on Alaskan Sled Dogs with some great photos from before Alaska became our 49th state. We patrol an Air Base perimeter on the first night of the Tet Offensive, scour the fields of Afghanistan with a jubilant black lab, Jag, and take a walk in Osan, Korea, with the Commander-in-Chief of the Strategic Air Command.
The December newsletter shares many gifts with our readers. This month, we honor the newest military branch, the US Space Force. We share stories of a Father-Son K9 duo, a resilient female handler from the 1970s, and a handler who endured dramatic weather on the edge of the Great Plains in 1968.Join us in our newest issue, highlighting all this and more while honoring the great team of bearded men who have created a unique and successful museum fundraiser. Welcome to the last issue of 2024!
The November newsletter is dedicated to the Devil Dogs of the USMC. We’ll examine some of the Marines’ finest K9s from World War II through the present.We invite you to stop by and learn about these heroic dogs, catch the second part of Stephen Kinne’s personal history on Navy Water Dogs in Vietnam, and check out the new merchandise in our store, including a mug or T-shirt sporting the new USMC K9 logo.
Anchors aweigh—the October newsletter is leaving the port to celebrate all things Navy. This month’s issue starts with a gorgeous photoshoot of Guam’s Navy K9 handlers. Speaking of photos, our talented photographer, Michael Hurder, walks you through some steps to improve your personal K9 indoor photos. The newsletter team is beyond excited to bring you the first part of a little-known Navy K9 program called the Water Dog Program from the Vietnam era. And just to tickle your Halloween fancy, a WWII story by an Army handler serving in the China-Burma-India theatre. Join us for the October Paw Print.
As we turn the corner into fall, we invite you to step inside the September Paw Print for some captivating stories. Celebrating the Air Force birthday month, we have articles featuring Air Force handlers and dogs – active duty, Vietnam, and in between. A great WWII photo of K9s coming home from the European battlefront is accompanied by a telling of the Fifth Army History – as it happened. Additionally, there’s a timely story about a 21st SFS dog team working in Butler, Pennsylvania. Lastly, we congratulate our volunteer teammate, Rob Calabro, on his retirement. Please join us in September.
Please join us this month for a wonderful celebration of USCG K9s, a vital part of the Coast Guard’s history. Your museum team’s newsletter staff is delighted to share the August 2024 issue, which features a tribute to the United States Coast Guard’s enormous role in America’s security.
Jump into the July issue to see our newly-acquired Weld Worx Metal Art piece, Johnny F728. While you’re reading, be sure to enjoy the great first-hand articles from a talented trio of Air Force handlers from different generations. And follow us back in time for a WWII K9 rendez-vous.
The museum team invites you to the June issue of Paw Print, which celebrates the United States Army’s 249th birthday. We are featuring Army-focused K9 photos and articles from WWII and Vietnam, along with a fantastic Banner and Patch from the 33rd IPSD. Please come in, sit down, and enjoy a short read.
The May 2024 Paw Print Newsletter is here! We are incredibly excited to share the history of the military working dog program from its inception to today, highlighting heroic actions, heartwarming stories, brutal realities, and stories to make you laugh. We are dedicated to sharing this rich history with the world. We appreciate your support!
We invite you to sit back and enjoy our April Paw Print issue, which is filled with stories and photos of dogs and their handlers doing their thing.We learn about the Bite and Hold, how the dogs are used during emergencies, like the simulated prisoner escape, and how partner members work together to ensure emergency care is available for injured MWDs.Join us for the first in a suite of articles written by Greg Dunlap, a new volunteer with a talent for bringing you into his K9 world. Dive in to our April issue.
Join us this month for the March newsletter celebrating K9 Veterans Day 2024. We introduce a swell Marine dog named Liney and ride along for an eye-opening patrol at Korat. Of course, we invite you to enjoy two different articles written by one of our talented team – Curtis Hendel.
This month, we ask you to join us as we time-travel back to the World War II era for three articles. We check on the Marine dogs on Iwo Jima, revisit some of the foundational folks of military K9 training, and deep dive into original sketches for some of the handler barracks at Fort Robinson, Nebraska. The newsletter team invites you to read these and other articles in our February issue.
Our Museum Team invites you to join us as we begin our fourth year of sharing our award-winning newsletter. The stories in January feature a Marine Specialized Search Dog team, a peek back at the importance of Monkey Mountain in Vietnam, and an in-depth look at the love and devotion of an Air Force handler for his favorite dog as we embark on a three-part article penned by Curtis Hendel.
The newsletter team presents the last newsletter of 2023, which features many great articles, such as the story of Nemo and Robert Throneberg, a dedication and re-dedication of two K9 monuments, and a terrific story about a WWII dog who went AWOL. Check out the December 2023 issue for these and other great stories. Be sure to subscribe for your own copy to be delivered to your email box each month.
Join us as we celebrate the Marine Corps birthday with stories of three different generations of USMC dog handlers. We’re sure you’ll enjoy some of the history that you find inside this issue. And, while you’re here, check out the story Gourmet Sandwich – it’s probably one at which every handler who’s ever walked the perimeter will chuckle. On behalf of the newsletter team, thank you for stopping by.
The newsletter team continues honoring our military branches with an October issue highlighting and celebrating Navy handlers. This month, we’ve got some great stories from Korat, Thailand; WWII Coast Guard handlers; and a great article about rehabilitating WWII dogs to be returned to their families. And, of course, what would our October newsletter be without an article that investigates a haunting? This year, we visit an old CIA building in Okinawa. C’mon in and have a look.
The museum’s newsletter team is delighted to bring you the September issue, honoring the Air Force K9 teams. We hit AF history heavy with the first of a two-part series on serving on the Korat perimeter in Thailand; check out the creepy crawlies at the vet clinic. We’ll stop by a stateside kennel for a quick healthcare visit and feature announcements and information about the 10th Anniversary celebration of the Military Working Dog Teams National Monument. We have other articles, too, so come on and check out the September Paw Print issue.
The Museum newsletter staff honors the month of the Coast Guard’s birthday in our August issue. In addition to the Coast Guard articles, we feature a recap of the 25th Anniversary Rededication of the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine’s K9 Memorial. The rededication event featured our President, Albert Johnson, and his wife, Dr. Kate Stanford. Spend some time in the month of August learning the Coast Guard K9 history! It’s captivating!
The newsletter team took a number of journeys in July: this issue takes you to Washington, D.C. with our young Minnesota student, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, and the Brushy Mountains of Western North Carolina. It takes you back in time to the last vet tech assigned in Vietnam and looks forward to our event at the University of Tennessee. Won’t you join us?
Have you ever wondered what your dog was thinking of its military experience? This month as we celebrate the US Army’s 248th Birthday, Vietnam Army Scout Dog Bubba 4A82 shares his experience, if he could talk. Also, two of our board members Army Coordinator, Johnny Mayo, and Navy Coordinator, Al Dodds, post military services to the K-9 story are covered. Finally, 1980s Air Force pipeline handler, Curtis Hendel, shares his first week experience in Patrol Dog School.
Our May issue pays tribute to those handlers and dogs who gave their last full measure of devotion to our nation. We learn the story of Duke 645F, the first dog mortally wounded in Vietnam. Also, we learn about the Unbreakable Bond memorial that lists all 4,022 dogs that served in Vietnam and Thailand during the Southeast Asian war and 127 K-9 personnel lost in that conflict. Our President, Albert Johnson reports on the Marine K-9 Reunion in Washington, D.C. Also, a lighthearted look at one handler’s transition to a “companion breed.” We hope you enjoy these stories and photographs as we expand on the history of the Military Working Dog history and heritage.
Our April newsletter takes us to Colorado’s Front Range and the United States Air Force Academy as we learn about dogs, handlers, and the creation of one of the newest Air Force kennels. This month, one of our volunteers attends the ribbon-cutting for the newest K9 Memorial at Coast Guard Island – Alameda, California. We’ve packed this issue with great articles and inspiring photos and invite you to take a look inside.
Our newsletter team proudly presents our March 2023 issue of The Paw Print. Inside this issue, you’ll find news articles on K9 teams in Vietnam, the clever work of Curtis Hendel as he explains the antics of his K9 Thor in Korea, and witness an especially hapless Airman in Thailand who met David Adams and his K9 Partner, Blackie. To start the month of March, however, we pay homage to K9 Veterans Day with a magnificent article on the socialite trailblazer who championed the Dogs For Defense, Alene Erlanger. Step inside this issue and enjoy!
Military Working Dog Heritage Museum invites everyone to enjoy our fantastic February newsletter. The newsletter team filled this issue with history and heritage. We have a great article on the Tet Offensive and the K9 response. The dynamic writer, Michael Lemish, shares two articles with us – a Jesse Mendez remembrance and the history of Mercy Dogs in World War I. We end this issue on a humorous note with a story of a laid-back K9 who unexpectedly became anything but free and easy! Download the February issue and enjoy!
Join us for our third year of sharing fantastic stories, elegant histories, and inspiring photos. In our first issue of 2023, we bring you the first salvos of the Tet Offensive during the Vietnam War. Stepping back through time a bit further, a guest author gives a first-hand account of what life was like on a SAC base for dog handlers during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Enjoy the other great articles in this issue, but don’t miss The Pit and the Poop, which outlines a different side of the dangerous job of handling MWDs.
The December newsletter rounds out our second year of presenting K9 histories and stories to inspire, educate, and entertain. We hope you’ve enjoyed reading the newsletters this year as much as the Newsletter Staff has in writing them.This issue honors the United States Space Force and discusses Tactical Combat Casualty Care Training. We’ve pulled something out of the archives on one of the 47th IPSD K9s, Sarge X052. And our talented writer, David Adams, remembers a Bob Hope Christmas while deployed in Thailand.Our holiday gift to you is the fabulous interview of James Terry Strickland. You can find the link to that interview on page 5. We know you’ll enjoy Terry’s stories.Happy holidays and Enjoy! From the Newsletter Team
Our November issue is slam-packed full of Marine Corps history – from Messenger Dog Caesar at the Battle of Bougainville to a GWOT handler at Camp Pendleton. Join us at one of our events at the Howard County All Veterans Reunion and venture back to Vietnam in a couple of other stories. Be sure to stop by and request your free subscription, if you aren’t getting The Paw Print sent to you directly. Thanks for your time, we hope you enjoy the November issue.
Meet some amazing Navy K9s in our October newsletter. In addition, we’re celebrating the Navy’s birthday with some memorable photos and stories.This issue also features an article by celebrated author Michael Lemish. Check out the articles about Lobo and Lucca, too. And, if that wasn’t enough, we feature an article about adopting a retired working dog.Stop by and visit for a while.
Military Working Dog Heritage Museum stands on the shoulders of dedicated, visionary dog handlers who came before us. Our goal is to gather their stories and share them with the world. One of these great men, David Broeker, took center stage in our September issue, and we could not be prouder. We hope you learn about David’s passion and history in our two-page article. Another article from Dr. Richard Vargas discusses exciting new opportunities for using Army Military Working Dogs. And Tom Lucha shares the inspirational story of one very dedicated veterinarian at Korat RTAFB during Vietnam. Please enjoy this issue and think about sharing your history with the museum. We’d love to talk with you, send us an email: info@mwdhm.org
Our Coast Guard-themed August issue gives a history of the critically important and long blue line’s history of USCG K9. In addition, guest author, Michael Lemish, shares a story of Army dog teams serving in Korea. Other great articles complete this August issue. Don’t miss it!
Our team crammed the July issue full of a variety of stories: K9 transport, working dogs at Wheelus AFB in Libya, the Wounded Warrior Dog Project, and tons more. Come and see what all the fuss is about!
Join us in this month’s issue for a recap of the tremendously successful Fort Benning weekend, with stories and photos of many of the event’s activities. In addition, we get a couple of different tales of time patrolling the perimeters in Southeast Asia from Michael Hurder and David Adams. And, so much more.
Our May 2022 newsletter takes you on a trip to visit the twin masterpieces, the War Dog Memorials at Fort Benning and March AFB. A dog handler explains why these monuments are so important.Other articles take us to an event in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, into the history of a special photo, and take us back in time to the Navy’s Marble Mountain Transmitter during the Vietnam Era.Join us on Memorial Day as we create our 2nd Memorial Day Reading of K9 Handlers’ Names.
We present the April 2022 issue of The Paw Print. This issue includes a short profile on Korean War Dog handler Carl Jacob Claus and some personal recollections from two favorite staff writers, Curtis Hendel and Michael Hurder. David Adams pens the most emotional piece as he shares the truly tragic history of what happened to the dogs in Southeast Asia as the Vietnam War wound down.
The March Paw Print Newsletter is here! This edition is dedicated to two important subjects – March brings us both K9 Veterans Day and Women’s History Month. Join us on our search for the very first female K9 handler and celebrate our K9 Veterans with us.
Our February issue allows a peek at what Scout Dog training was like at Fort Benning during the Vietnam era. Johnny Mayo’s War Dog Wall is featured. (Don’t miss it at our Fort Benning event.) And Curtis Hendel reminds us of the strong and unique K9 bonds that cross over the branches of service. Join our newsletter distribution list by adding your name to our subscribers at the bottom of our home page. We’d welcome you join our MWDHM Community.
Our January issue gives an overview of our incredible 2021. We’ve included information about the museum and our upcoming Fort Benning event. Additionally, Dr. Thomas shares the second half of his article about managing pain in K9s. Next, we dive into history with a stunning letter crafted by a Front Royal K9 handler during WWII and we recognize the bond of the K9 field, regardless of the Branch of Service. Finally, we wrap up this year with an overview of the newsletter staff’s favorite photos and articles from 2021. Enjoy!
Featuring a story about The Sultan of Peterson, The Substitute, Pain Management in Retired MWDs, The Greatest Christmas Gift, and more!
Featuring a celebration of the 246th birthday of the USMC, a story about the Messenger Dog Tubby, a spotlight on Volunteer Curtis Hendel, a story about an angry den of porcupines, and more!
We celebrate the birthday of the United States Navy. Featuring photos from the Michigan War Dog Memorial, a story about the Legend of Zeke's bunker, and even a poem!
Featuring an important message from our president, a story about John Dean, Gabriel B217, and Tub Time, and Korat Photos from the David Adams Collection.
Featuring stories of Coast Guard K-9 teams and their history, honoring the passing of handler Eric-John Niss de Jesus, coverage on the graveside service for war dog Lucca, a touching story from Michael Hurder to his K-9 partner., a look at our recent trip to the combat tracker reunion in Lexington Kentucky , and more but not to forget a visit to a beautiful MWD team monument in Wisconsin. Will our pet duo finally agree on a rating scale? Tune in and find out.
Featuring stories of brave handlers, a look at the Jungle Warfare Training School, World War I mercy dogs, A sneaky story, outside the box training, our first fundraiser, and more but not to forget a visit to a beautiful K9/Handler monument in New York. Will our own chronically unimpressed cat finally approve of a dog monument? Tune in and find out.
We celebrate the birthday of the United States Army. Featuring stories of brave handlers, a story of a Gold Star Father, an ode to fathers through interviews with their children, and a visit to another beautiful K9/Handler monument. Will our cat cohort finally approve of a dog monument? Tune in and find out.
Featuring stories of brave handlers, we honor our fallen, story of a Gold Star Mother, an ode to mothers with interviews with their children, and a visit to another beautiful K9/Handler monument. Will our cat cohort finally approve of a dog monument? Tune in and find out.
Featuring portraits of heroes, a story about Joe White in Vietnam, a story about Dogs for Defense, and a visit to another beautiful K9/Handler monument. Will anything please our ornery cat sidekick? Join us and find out.
Featuring a story about Seaman, Newfoundland Who Explored America, interviews with veterans, an article about the importance of rapport, and a Vietnam War Dog Memorial in Layton, Utah.
Featuring an article about the importance of remembering, a story about Chip, a mixed breed dog with grit, a story about Rocky’s bucket list, and a few articles about kennel care.
Featuring an article about the creation of the MWDHM, a portrait of Jessica Newton, an about MWD retirement and Robby’s law, a story about the last working dog at Ashley Kennels, and more.
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