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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact: War Dog Memorial Fund, Inc. 877/WAR-DOGS (927-3647), 909/278-9727 (Fax)

THE UNTOLD STORY OF

AMERICA'S FORGOTTEN HEROES REVEALED ON FILM

CORONA, Calif. December 15, 1999 — The year is 1969, and America is at war in Vietnam. Near Danang, a soldier and his “war dog,” a German Shepherd named Bruiser, silently creep forward searching for any sign that the enemy is near. Bruiser suddenly stops dead in his tracks, his nose up and ears twitching — signaling danger. His handler makes the pivotal decision to fire and seconds later, enemy bullets and grenades rain violently down on the soldiers.

Bruiser’s handler, John Flannelly, is gravely wounded — most of his left side a gaping wound. Ignoring John’s order to leave him on the battlefield, Bruiser drags John to safety while taking two rounds in the process. Other brave soldiers die that day, yet with Bruiser’s advance warning, many survive including John, who was later reunited with Bruiser in a field hospital.

Reflecting on the profound bond that existed between he and Bruiser during the war, John Flannelly said, “Bruiser saved not only my life, but the lives of the other Marines I was working with. I never would have made it without him. I will never be able to thank him enough. I owe my life to that dog.”

Documentary Finally Honors Dog Heroes

Bruiser was among more than 4,000 dogs recruited to serve and protect U.S. troops in Vietnam, preventing 10,000-plus American casualties in the process. Yet, only a few of these dogs returned to America at the close of the war. Since these canine heroes were classified by the military as equipment, they were declared “surplus armaments” and either unceremoniously euthanised or left to unknown fates in Vietnam.

None of the dogs, however, have ever been honored for their bravery and service — until now — through a compelling documentary called “War Dogs, America’s Forgotten Heroes,” narrated by the acclaimed actor Martin Sheen.

There would be a whole lot more than 50,000 names on the Vietnam Wall without these dogs ... and I don’t think the average American even knows the role these dogs played,” said Dr. John Kubisz, a veterinarian who served with the 764th Veterinary Detachment in Vietnam. “There is no memorial to honor them, except the living testament — children who were born because their father survived a distant, violent dream, thanks to his best friend.”

While “War Dogs” tells the untold story of the heroic roles played by the thousands of war dogs in Vietnam, the documentary was produced primarily to:

educate America about the unwavering bond between dog and handler that prevented more than 10,000 casualties in Vietnam;
reveal how the heroic efforts of these dogs were never honored;
prevent a similar tragedy;
deliver an entirely different perspective of the Vietnam War; and,
help concerned Americans raise funds for the creation of two war dog memorials.

“These dogs deserve more and have the right to be honored and treated like any other American that served in Vietnam,” said Jeffrey P. Bennett, executive producer of “War Dogs, America’s Forgotten Heroes,” and Founder, President and CEO of Nature's Recipe Pet Foods, which played a paramount role in the development of the documentary. “Unlike other soldiers, and unlike the dogs that served in other wars, these dogs never received medals or any other kind of recognition for their heroic efforts. America has never sufficiently thanked these dogs, and this documentary finally gives us the opportunity.”

According to Bennett, after World War II, surviving war dogs were sent home to their families with honorable discharges.

Looking Back with Honor

Military dogs and their handlers played increasingly critical roles as the Vietnam War escalated. The dogs first served as sentries to guard U.S. and South Vietnamese installations. After full mobilization in Vietnam, American soldiers in all branches of the military relied upon the dogs to combat the unconventional guerilla warfare fought by the Viet Cong. Dogs were typically trained in specialties; some could detect enemy personnel, others booby traps, mines, tunnels, or weapon caches — all to protect their troops and handlers.

During the war, military records documenting the number of dogs in service or those that were killed or missing in action were minimal at best. In fact, prior to 1969, no records were kept.

“By researching the records that do exist and through interviews with many of the handlers who served in Vietnam, we have been able to document at least 4,000 war dogs that served during the war, but there were probably many more,” said Tom Mitchell, chairman of the Vietnam Dog Handlers Association (VDHA). “Our collective research also indicates that these heroic dogs were responsible for saving a minimum of 10,000 Americans from death or injury.”

Co-produced by Jeffrey Bennett and GRB Entertainment of Studio City, Calif., “War Dogs,” offers a rare, often heart-warming and sometimes heart-wrenching look at the war dogs of Vietnam. The documentary blends actual, never-before-seen footage that was captured by handlers and other soldiers during the war, as well as insightful, often emotionally powerful interviews with several handlers.

Since its original broadcast, “War Dogs” has aired several times domestically on the Discovery Channel. It has also reached a worldwide audience airing internationally on cable stations including the National Geographic Channel, Discovery Channel as well as on network television in New Zealand.

Concurrent with the February 15^th Discovery Channel airing, the documentary was released on home video. The video, which includes footage not shown on television, is available with a minimum contribution to the War Dog Memorial Fund.

The proceeds will go toward the cost of building two war dog memorials to be dedicated in 2000. The first is scheduled to be unveiled on President’s Day at March Field Air Museum in Riverside, California. A second memorial will be dedicated at the National Infantry Museum at Ft. Benning in Georgia on October 8, 2000.

The world-renown sculptor, A. Thomas Schomberg, whose sculptures are exhibited and collected internationally, has created both memorials.

“Finally, our dogs will be honored for time immemorial,” said the VDHA’s Mitchell. “The inscription on the memorial describes what we — their handlers — have held true in our hearts for more than three decades: ‘They protected us on the field of battle. They watch over our eternal rest. We are grateful.’”