European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 16, 1969, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday january 16, 1969 the stars and stripes Page 7 feats show value of scout dogs to Vietnam gis by John Lengel Dong Tam Vietnam a the Pentagon has spent millions of dollars for such detection de vices night As radar telescopes infrared an to help the ground Soldier. The biggest bar gains however Are device called King Hasso and Tbone German Shepherd dogs alsatian that Cost a Dol Lar and run on a word of Praise and a Pat. The dogs Are fixtures in Viet Nam bounding enthusiastically from helicopters during assaults thrashing their tails As they move along trails like City dogs Ona rare trip to the country. They swim canals endure the heat climb mountains and at least one a Marine scout dog name Lobo. Makes Parachute jumps with his  dogs also get Hurt. On Hill 875 the Breeze rippled the fur othe carcass of a scout dog lying among the dead  one Parachute company was ambushed 76 men were killed in june 1m? a survivor recalled the flip of Battle sounding like roars in a football stadium. The survivors recalled too bloodied scout dog limping up from a murderous draw the Only living thing that came out of there that Day. The paratrooper said the dog quietly slumped Down with the wounded survivors the command Post. There Are now about 1,100 dog serving with . Troops. About 130 have been killed. The . Air for Csc procure the dogs advertising periodically and paying a Token Dollar tomake the Deal official. One vet eran handler says the dogs Are frequently getting in the Way at their old Homes too much Trou ble to take on a weekend trip or grown too big for a City apart ment. To enter the service the dog must be a year old. He keeps his original name. Aggressive dogs Are screened for sentry work. The smarter ones Are used As scout dogs Secretary designate Robert c. Seamans or. Left discusses new responsibilities with air Force Secretary Harold Brown. Crested capper takes a Long drink about two thirds of the dogs i Vietnam. The jobs of scout and sentry Are different in training but in Vietnam they tend to blur say most handlers. It comes Down to the dog s ability to Alert or detect the enemy whether it be on a base perimeter or in Thefield on patrol. Three samples Nick a Marine dog alerted As his company was moving Upa Ridge line 200 Yards from a Hill Crest below the demilitarized one. The company commander backed his men Down in silence circled the other High ground overlooking Nick s Hilltop. Artil Lery was called in and the com Pany commander saw the enemy scrambling from position to position. Thirty five enemy were killed. The marines did not fire a shot or lose a  alerted an army patrol in the Delta. His handle passed the word and the patrol fell Flat an instant before enemy fire passed Over their Heads. T Bone another dog idling at thereat of the column alerted on an enemy flanking movement Intima for the americans to set up a brutal base of fire in that direction. The patrol turned a potential ambush into a killing situation. King another Marine  his harness an Accident while on patrol below the  chased Down a guerrilla who jumped from a spider Hole after firing five shots. The patrol Over ook the dog and his  outlined the defences at the patrol s objective. The enemy fortifications were much stronger than the marines supposed. The attack which could have been a disaster was delayed until airstrikes were called in and reinforcements arranged for. Can tip handle army it. James Fagerstone has a scout dog platoon at the Dong Tarn Delta base of the 9th div. He says dryly about alerts that preferably the dog should give the strongest possible Alertas the greatest possible Dis  Given open ground and a favourable wind a dog can tip his handler to the enemy at 250yards. A dog alerts by stopping an freezing in his own Peculiar position. Marine Lance Cpl. Bobs Ake says he can look right at potential trouble by sighting be tween the ears of his dog. Rex. Army handler sgt. Michael Lutz says Blacky assumes a stance of right leg up head Over left Houlder with a look of do i Ute to go there on his  dogs will stay in Vietnam until it s Over. If they become curable sick or senile they la in put to sleep. Often a wounded dog does return to duty. A dog suddenly gone shy sometimes ends up As a pet As did King who died with his new master maj. Gen. Keith Ware in a Heli copter crash. The dog and his handler aver age about six three Day patrols a month with different  automatically the dog and his handler Are put on Point first in the column. Dogs also Are invaluable for Early warning for . Ambush teams. The dogs snooze  says Marine sgt. Rob Ert r. Parks but they re Al ways monitoring everything. Flick of a Shepherd s ear and the patrol tenses Over their weapons ready for anything that May be. Coming Down the  an f4p phantom of the 417th tactical fighter so on its Way to Germany As part of crested Cap i is refuelled by a kc13s  new Kes Provost marshal Nuernberg Germany Spe  maj. Tommy j. Stacy is i the new Provost marshal for the european Exchange system. He was formerly Deputy Provost marshal for the Berlin brigade