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thedrifter
02-19-07, 08:40 AM
March Field Air Museum holds seventh annual war dog tribute
By JOE VARGO
The Press-Enterprise

Their names are Flapoor, Jerry, Tino, Rex and Dano, and they've pulled front-line duty in Fallujah, Ramadi and other hot spots in Iraq.

American war dogs are walking patrols, sniffing out explosives and clearing buildings of suspected insurgents every day, continuing a legacy of canine service that dates to the 1830s.

Several have been wounded by suicide bombers and one handler, Marine Sgt. Adam Cann, was killed, the first dog handler to die in enemy action since the Vietnam War.

On Sunday, the March Field Air Museum paid homage to America's four-legged warriors and their human counterparts, with special mention to Cann and his dog, Bruno. The seventh annual war dog tribute drew about 300 people, including 15 handlers from Camp Pendleton.

Justin Cann, Adam Cann's brother and a Marine at Miramar, received an American flag from Dale Dye, a retired Marine captain and radio and television personality. A rifle salute paid tribute to all war dogs and their handlers, living and dead. A bugler played Taps.

Adam Cann, 23, was killed in January 2006 in Ramadi when a suicide bomber detonated 40 pounds of explosives packed with ball bearings as he stood among 1,000 Iraqi police recruits. Though badly wounded, Bruno recovered and has returned to duty.

"He loved that dog," said Justin Cann, 26, an electrician on F-18 Hornet fighters who has completed three overseas tours in support of the Iraq war. "He thought he had the best job in the Marines. He got paid to play with dogs."

Justin Cann said his family still grieves for Adam. He is leaving the service next week to support his mom and dad. Life in uniform is not the same without his brother to share their experiences, he said.

"It's really hard being part of this without having my brother with me," he said.

Dye, who completed three tours in Vietnam, recalled how a dog named Scratch sniffed out enemy soldiers one night and saved a group of Marines from certain death. Vietnam veterans credit war dogs with preventing 10,000 U.S. casualties. The next day, Scratch and his handler were killed in an artillery barrage. The Marines in Dye's unit insisted on carrying Scratch's remains back to friendly lines.

"He was a Marine and we don't leave our Marines behind," Dye said.

Sgt. Benjamin Maple, who is Camp Pendleton's chief dog trainer, said war dogs are saving American lives every day.

"They're doing a lot more than what they get credit for," Maple said.

Reach Joe Vargo at 951-567-2407 or jvargo@PE.com

Ellie