Hero Sentry Dog: Nemo A534

Hero Sentry Dog: Nemo A534. United States Air Force Sentry Dog. Nemo was a two-year-old black and brown German shepherd owned by Air Force Sergeant Samuel Cooks, Jr., at K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base near Marquette, Michigan. In the summer of 1964 Nemo was procured by the Air Force and shipped to Lackland AFB, Texas, for training. Following the required Air Force physical examination Nemo, like the thousands of military working dogs that preceded and followed him, was given an identifying tattoo in his left ear-"A534." He was now officially U.S. Air Force equipment., Nemo was assigned to Airman Third Class (A3C) Leonard Bryant, Jr., during his initial training. When they completed training in the fall of 1965 the two traveled to Fairchild AFB, Washington, and started their duty assignment together as a sentry dog team with the 92nd Security Police Squadron of the Strategic Air Command., In January 1966, Nemo and A3C Bryant were transferred to the Republic of South Vietnam, assigned to the 377th Air Police Squadron at Tan Son Nhut Air Base. Nemo and Bryant worked patrolling the perimeter of the base at night from January to October 1966. Pending Airman Bryant's transfer back to the U.S., Nemo was reassigned to A3C Robert Throneburg in October of 1966., Just after midnight on the morning of December 4, 1966, a large force of Viet Cong commandos attacked Tan Son Nhut Air Base. Approximately 60 mortar rounds hit the base, and a Viet Cong guerilla force estimated to have included more than 75 saboteurs infiltrated the base perimeter., At approximately 0110 hours (ten minutes after 1:00 a.m. in civilian time) K-9 section leader Staff Sergeant (SSgt) Tommy Shehan attempted to contact Airman Second Class (A2C) George Bevich, Jr., for a scheduled break. Pulling up to Bevich's post, "Kilo-3," in a vehicle, Shehan called to Bevich but there was no response. The Viet Cong had overrun Kilo-3, killing A2C Bevich and wounding Sentry Dog Rex (664F)., SSgt Shehan jumped from his truck as the attackers ran past him and threw a grenade at the truck. The grenade went off inside the truck, throwing Shehan to the ground. Fragments of the grenade tore into his body and the concussion knocked him unconscious., At approximately 0115 hours, sentry dog Rebel (519X) and his handler A2C Leroy E. Marsh, on post Kilo-4, detected a group of about 20 Vietcong. Marsh and the enemy began firing at each other and Marsh released Rebel to attack the enemy fighters. At 0200 hours, Sentry Dog Cubby (612E) and handler A2C Larry G. Laudner on post Kilo-1 challenged a group of intruders; once again gunfire was exchanged and Laudner released Cubby to pursue the attackers. At 0500 hours, Sentry Dog Toby (206F) and handler A1C Dale E. Sidwell on post Kilo-2 detected the enemy advancing and Sidwell released Toby to attack the enemy., At dawn they began a sweep of the area. They knew there were at least three dogs out there. "We had no idea what happened to our dogs," said Laudner. "We just knew we'd let them go and they didn't come back. I assumed Cubby was dead." They found George Bevich's body, with Rex right next to him, standing guard, still attached to his leash. The attack was so quick and strong Bevich didn't even have time to let Rex go., Three members of the 377th Air Police Squadron were killed defending Tan Son Nhut Air Base during this attack: A2C George M. Bevich, Jr., A2C John M. Cole, and A2C Oliver Riddle. Three sentry dogs, Cubby (612E), Toby (206F), and Rebel (519X), were also killed. Fifteen American servicemen were wounded. Many, many lives were saved by these sentry dog teams detecting the attackers, not only had those of the handlers and other Security Police, but also the thousands of other men on Tan Son Nhut Air Base that night. But now it was time to secure the base as daylight returned. Unfortunately, K-9 teams were not included in the daylight patrols., The enemy attackers had been forced to hide and wait for nightfall before they could try to escape. Just before total darkness fell again that night, sentry dog Nemo (A534) and his handler A2C Robert A. Throneburg were posted on Kilo-5. Suddenly Nemo alerted and Throneburg released him to attack the Viet Cong, who had evaded detection throughout the day. Nemo took on two of them, taking both to the ground but a shot was fired and Nemo went down. Nemo had been shot through his muzzle; the bullet destroyed his sinus area and exited out his right eye. Throneburg opened fire but was overwhelmed by the force of the attack - he too was shot and fell to the ground., Other Security Police eventually arrived on the scene, and even though grievously wounded, Nemo would not let any of them near A2C Throneburg. Nemo continued to protect A2C Throneburg as he had been trained, and shielded his handler from anyone trying to approach the team. Nemo's previous handler, A2C Leonard Bryant, had not left the base yet and that night was working at the kennels. He quickly was summoned to the scene of the attack and was able to secure Nemo and transported him to the kennels., USAF First Lieutenant (1st Lt) Raymond Huston, the base veterinarian, was summoned to the kennels and began working hard to save Nemo's life. He performed a tracheotomy to help the wounded dog breathe. Nemo had sustained a massive gunshot wound to his muzzle, sinus area, and his right eye socket. 1st Lt Huston had to remove what was left of Nemo's right eye, but like the proud, strong warrior that he was, Nemo fought hard for his life even as veterinarian performed numerous skin grafts on Nemo's face., Nemo was credited with saving his handler's life and preventing further destruction of life and property at Tan Son Nhut Air Base. The "After Action Report" stated that the Viet Cong attackers had suffered 28 men killed in action (KIA), and an unknown number of men wounded in action (WIA). Four were captured. Twenty American aircraft received minor damage. Air operations in support of ground units in III Corps were uninterrupted. Many, many lives were saved. Not only had those of the handlers, but also the thousands of men stationed at Tan Son Nhut, plus those going home, and coming into Vietnam through this major base., For Nemo's recuperation, A1C Leon Senecal was assigned as his handler in January of 1967. Gradually, Nemo accepted Senecal, who soon had him out and moving around on a leash. Nemo gained strength and endurance with the additional exercise., In mid-1967 it was determined that Nemo's wounds needed more treatment than was available in Vietnam. On June 23 Air Force Headquarters directed that Nemo be returned to the United States with honors, to be officially retired from active service. The Air Force sent him home to Lackland Air Force Base, the home of the military's sentry dog program, where he could receive the best possible veterinary care., Nemo flew halfway around the world accompanied by A2C Melvin Bryant, who was returning after completing his tour of duty in Vietnam. The plane touched down in Japan, Hawaii and California, and at each stop Air Force veterinarians examined Nemo, checking for signs of undue discomfort, stress or fatigue., The aircraft carrying Nemo and Bryant toughed down at Kelly Air Force Base, Texas, on July 22, 1967. Captain (Capt) Robert M. Sullivan was the OIC (Officer In Charge) of the sentry dog-training program at Lackland at the time, and he had the honor of leading Nemo's welcome-home committee., Nemo was the first hero of his kind to return from the Vietnam War. The welcoming committee watched him walk down the ramp of the plane that had just landed at Kelly Air Force Base. He was wounded, his right eye was missing and a scar ran from below his right eye socket to his mouth. But his wounds weren't what made him different from other returning Vietnam veterans; he was the only one who was a dog. , Nemo spent most of his retirement years at the Department of Defense Dog Center, at Lackland AFB, Texas. He was assigned a permanent kennel near the veterinary facility. A sign with his name, serial number and details of his heroic exploits stood out on his freshly painted home. Nemo's presence at Lackland were a constant reminder to students learning the military K-9 trade of just how important a dog is to his handler and to the defense of our military installations., But Nemo's service to his country did not end upon his return to the United States; he frequently was taken on tours throughout the country as a recruiter, to assist the Department of Defense in procuring more dogs for the military working dog program. From 1968 to 1970, Nemo and Capt Sullivan traveled to more than 50 cities, making TV, radio and personal appearances. Together they recruited more than 8,000 dogs to be used by the military, U.S. Customs and the Federal Aviation Administration., In the fall of 1972 veterinarians at the Department of Defense (DoD) Dog Center at Lackland notified Capt.Sullivan that Nemo was no longer responding well to the antibiotics that were being used to prevent infection in his old wounds. An infection some years earlier had caused Nemo to lose most of the hair on his flanks and stomach. Now, at age 10, another infection could be fatal and cause him undue suffering. The decision was made to bring Nemo to the kennels at Andrews AFB, outside Washington D.C., where he could be cared for and closely observed., In early December 1972, Nemo fell ill with another infection. On December 18, Major Sullivan, who had been Nemo's primary handler since Nemo returned to Lackland, travelled to Andrews and spent some time with Nemo, He recognized that the dog was extremely uncomfortable, so after consultation with the veterinarian, he ordered Nemo to be euthanized. Major Sullivan held Nemo as the shots were administered and stayed with him as he died., The Tan Son Nhut hero was gone and would forever take his place in military working dog history. After an attempt to preserve his remains failed, the Vietnam War Hero was memorialized in a ceremony on March 15, 1973, at the DoD Dog Center., The U.S. military sent more than 4,000 dogs to serve in Vietnam and Thailand during the Vietnam War, and it is believed that fewer than 200 made it home. It has been estimated that these dogs saved the lives of more than 10,000 American soldiers during that war. Sadly, the fate of many of these dogs remains unaccounted for and unknown to this day., The 377th Air Police Squadron was awarded the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for its "Heroic Valor," against the Viet Cong infiltration force., In the fall of 2003 a small group of former Air Force dog handlers toured the Lackland AFB Military Working Dog Training School during a military veterans' reunion. Many of these men had received their original training during the Vietnam War as sentry or patrol dog handlers at that training center. During the tour, they noticed an old, cracked cement pad with a crumbling raised border around its perimeter. They slowly realized that they were looking at the remnants of the kennel where the hero sentry dog Nemo had been retired after receiving his combat wounds in the 1966 attack on Tan Son Nhut AB, Vietnam. The pad was now run down and barren, with no markings indicating its history. The men decided that this was sacred ground, the last physical symbol of Sentry Dog Nemo!, Following the visit, this small group of Vietnam War veterans and a few friends formed the "Nemo's War Dog Heroes Memorial" to tell the story of Nemo and through it memorialize all of the military working dogs that have served and continued to serve America's armed services., For more than two years the group worked to assemble the history, raise funds, and make plans to build a more fitting memorial on the site of Nemo's old kennel, at what was then the 37th Security Forces Squadron (SFS) training center. The men researched the original appearance of the site using old photographs and personal accounts., After the years of hard work, a replica of Nemo's kennel house was finally installed on the refurbished concrete pad. The printed sign on his old kennel that told the story of his heroism during the attack on Tan Son Nhut was replicated and placed on the new chain link fence that now enclosed the original pad. A water bucket and food pan just like those used in 1966 were placed in the kennel. Nemo's memorial headstone, previously donated by students of the Specialized Search Dogs class at Lackland, was repositioned and the landscaping in the area spruced up. The site was now ready to be declared a memorial. , The group hosted a dedication ceremony at the site on November 15, 2005, attended by other veterans of the 377th Air Police and Security Police Squadrons from Tan Son Nhut, troops of the Specialized Search Dog Class II at Lackland, and others totaling about 100. During the dedication, Nemo's exploits and those of other working dogs past and present were honored. Finally, there is a memorial at America's military working dog training center to honor all canine heroes of the military., One speaker summed up the feeling of the MWD handlers in attendance: "Let's never forget our partners, those heroic canines both past and present, for their gallant service to our country, both at home and places so very far away. You have made us very proud to be on the end of your leash, now and forever. To Nemo and all of the Working Dog heroes - we salute you for your service in the name of freedom. The legacy will continue as we honor all of our canine heroes, past, present and future. On behalf of all 'Dog Handlers' from all of the United States services, we are honored to be part of this great military tradition and we will always be in debt to the service of our counterpart canine heroes. In conclusion, let us never forget our War Dog Heroes.", The "Nemo Memorial" was moved to a new location at the Air Force Security Forces Museum at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in April 2013. Due to the age and condition of Nemo's original pad that was erected circa 1967 the NWDHMC made the decision to protect the artifacts that had been reconstructed at the original 37th Security Forces Squadron kennel completed in 2005. In lieu of attempting to move the entire pad, the 802nd Civil Engineer Squadron assisted in removing a portion of the original pad and then included that historical section of concrete within the newly placed pad at the Security Force museum site. This transfer enabled the linage of the site to continue to represent the home of one of the many Vietnam era canine heroes to live on for others to enjoy., This memorial was created as a result of the efforts of the "Nemo's War Dog Heroes Memorial Committee," with the support of the members of the 377th Air Police and Security Police, military working dog handlers past and present, and the personnel of the 37th Training Wing, Office of History and Research, "The Memory of the Wing," Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas., Captions , Sentry Dog Nemo - A534 , A2C Robert A. Throneburg bids farewell to Nemo (A534)in Siagon, Vietnam - 1966 , A2C Melvin W. Bryant and Nemo (A534) arrive at Kelly AFB Texas in July 1967 , Airman Crover and Captain Lee Townsend (DVM) examine entry Dog Nemo (A534) during a routine check up at Lackland AFB in 1968. , Captain Robert M. Sullivan and Nemo (A534) on a recruiting tour in the United States - 1968 , Sentry Dog Nemo's new kennel at Lackland AFB and Tan Son Nhut Air Base attack sign