The life of a US Marine is filled with challenges and dangers of all kinds, and often, one of the only things that helps Marines get through their days and keep on fighting is the companionship and loyalty of their friends and squadmates, and we’re not just talking about humans here!
There are plenty of canine helpers that work alongside the US Marine Corps, taking on tasks like bomb-sniffing and trap detection, saving lives and protecting their pals in the process.
These dogs deserve plenty of respect and admiration, and sadly, many of them used to be put down once they were too old to carry on working. Luckily, in recent years, new laws have been passed to allow military members to adopt their canine counterparts, and that’s exactly what Cpl. Byung Kang knew he had to do with his doggy buddy, Blue.
Blue is a Labrador who helped out Cpl. Kang on his second deployment in Afghanistan.
An expert sniffer dog, Blue is a highly intelligent and flawlessly trained pup that can identify explosive devices in a heartbeat, saving countless lives in the process.
And after seeing firsthand how dangerous these kinds of bombs could be during his first tour, Cpl. Kang volunteered to become an IED detection dog handler for his second trip. That’s where he met Blue.
On her very first mission by Cpl. Kang’s side, Blue showed him exactly what she could do: detecting a hidden explosive and helping to save the lives of the Corporal and his comrades.
In an interview with Today, Cpl. Kang revealed his amazement at Blue’s skills:
That IED could have taken a couple of our guys out. So from there, Blue started getting trust and the respect of my platoon. Since we knew Blue is effective, it was almost impossible for a squad or a platoon to go out without Blue.
Cpl. Kang was so happy to have Blue around. She helped him and his fellow Marines feel a lot safer each day, putting her own life at risk for their protection.
She was such a kind and loyal dog, Cpl. Kang knew he wanted to give her a better life and ensure that her story had a happy ending, so he vowed to take her home.
I told her, ‘What you’ve done for me and my guys over here in Afghanistan, we cannot pay back. So I’m going to give you a good home where you can cuddle all day, not worrying about going to war and finding bombs.’
Blue and the Corporal participated in over 300 missions together before finally parting ways after Blue got reassigned. Cpl. Kang was sad to see her go, but determined to keep his promise.
He told his wife, Wendy, about Blue and she got in touch with some other Marines to try and track the dog down.
Then, in November of 2018, the old military Labrador was finally able to take her retirement and discover her forever home with the Kang family.
Blue has been living in Georgia with the Kangs and their other pets ever since that day, and she was even given a special award from the United States War Dogs Association for her inspiring service.
It’s amazing to look back on this Labrador’s incredible life, and we’re so grateful to know that she has a warm home and loving family to live out her final years in peace and comfort.
In the words of Cpl. Byung:
These working dogs, they will give up their life for us. So we should be thankful to them and respect them and above all, trust the dog because dogs will not lie.
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Source: Today, InspireMore
