Dogs of war come home

Besides being dogs, Lex and Cinnamon seem to have little in common.

Lex was a selectively bred, highly trained military dog deployed to Iraq to search out bombs.

Cinnamon was a stray puppy who charmed her way into becoming a troop mascot in Afghanistan.

But both dogs had their roles in war, both won the hearts of their comrades and now they have come home.

And both dogs remind us of our own humanity in a dangerous world.

Lex’s story

Marine Cpl Dustin Lee, a military dog handler, and Lex, his German Shepherd, were searching for roadside bombs when a mortar attack killed the 20-year-old Marine in Fallujah. Although injured himself, Lex had to be pulled away from his beloved handler.

Recognizing the strong bond between Lex and their slain son, the Lee family tried for months to adopt Lex. But military officials said that eight-year-old Lex had another two years of service before he was eligible for adoption.

Finally after nine months of lobbying, the military agreed to allow the Lees to bring Lex into their family, which includes parents Jerome and Rachael, daughter Madison, 16, and son Camryn, 12, of Quitman, Mississippi. Lex was flown home for a service honoring the fallen Marine.

His mother, Rachael, said she believes her son’s spirit will live on through the dog because of the close bond they had and because they were together during the final moments of her son's life. Lex’s story

Cinnamon’s story

When Cinnamon was just a puppy, she charmed her way into the hearts of service men and women in Afghanistan to become the company mascot. Navy Lt. Commander Mark Feffer established a special bond with her, and rather than abandon her when he rotated out of duty, he was determined to adopt her and take her back to the U.S. to live with him and his wife.

“He went through all the right channels to get her ready to travel. Cinnamon was on her way home. She had been taken care of for 7 months. She had her vet exam and her shots. Her health certificate was ready, and her transportation was arranged… An experienced dog handler was to accompany Cinnamon home.”

His wife Alice was to meet the plane carrying Cinnamon at O’Hare Airport. But then something went terribly wrong.

Cinnamon wasn’t on the plane. The trusted dog handler had abandoned her in a foreign country without telling anyone and no one knew where she was.

One lost little dog in a very large world…and a family determined to find her.

The story of Cinnamon’s eventual location and homecoming is recounted in the book “44 Days out of Kandahar” by Christine Sullivan.

Rescue of a military puppy: “44 Days out of Kandahar”

Comments

[jackie]

ahhhhhhh jeez...make a girl cry on christmas....sigh*..such a great story...but I'd like to get my 'paws' on the guy who abandoned her..I'd kick his ass...

[Tracey]

It's interesting to read about perspectives of war from a completely different point of view...it does sound like there would be some heart-breaking moments though.

[schnoodlepooh]

I'm so glad those dogs finally got to their homes. Stories like that are so stressful for me. (yes, I'm weird)

[Diamond Emerald-Eyes]

what kind of experienced handler would just abandoned the puppy? That is just wrong. Especially since they pay money.

Does Lex get purple heart for being wounded in the line of duty?

[George Roach]

I am putting a comment here, just because there is NOT already a long comment list. I have finished reading all of the stories on this page and they are all cute, sad, helpful, or just plain old interesting.

[Therese]

I'd be right behind Jackie...ready to kick some ass when she's done! I'm glad there was a happy ending though!

[Fred Castle]

One of the bomb sniffing dogs saved my life in iraq. And we found a little mutt that we managed to get stateside. I got a lump in my throat reading this.

[teetotaled]

WOW....thank goodness that Cinnamon was found. What a heartwarming story.

[Simply Jenn]

I'm so happy those dogs ended up with the families they belong with, but I'm sad that there was any kind of hassle for the families to get the dogs. At least it all ended up well.

[Lora]

what a story!

[Jimmy]

I'm getting in line behind Jackie & Therese!
Batter up!

[BunGirl]

Jackie Therese and Jimmy, make room for one more... ;)

[Neva]

You have the best stories! I am so glad I found your blog and thank you for visiting mine! I look forward to more great things from you in 2008!

[Coll]

Thank you so much for this.

[Sling]

Those are each wonderful stories jan..Thanks for posting them.

[cube]

What wonderful stories. I heard about Lex, but had not heard about Cinnamon. I think sending dogs into war zones is such a good idea.