Dpg Story

[SuperScout]

First lady Laura Bush's guests at her husband's annual address to Congress certainly were diverse. One, in fact, wasn't even human. Rex, a 5-year-old German shepherd, fit in with the other Iraq war veterans who were guests of Republicans and Democrats.

Rex sniffed out bombs in Iraq. He's been the subject of congressional legislation. He's famous, and Wednesday night he became one of Mrs. Bush's guests at the State of the Union speech. How Rex landed such a coveted seat ? actually a spot in the aisle labeled "Rex" on the official seating chart ? is quite a tale.

His owner, Air Force Tech Sgt. Jamie Dana, awoke in a military hospital last summer badly injured by a bomb in Iraq and crying for her bomb-sniffing dog. Someone told her Rex was dead. Later, Dana found out that wasn't true. But it would take an act of Congress before she could take him home to Pennsylvania.

The Air Force said it had spent $18,000 training Rex and that, by statute, he needed to finish the remaining five years of his useful life before he could be adopted. Dana's congressman, Rep. John Peterson, R-Pa., helped abolish that policy in an end-of-year defense bill, the White House said.

No less interesting were the other guests of Republicans and Democrats, ranging from parents of fallen soldiers to the mayor of Washington to survivors and rescue personnel from Hurricane Katrina.

Rep. Lynn Woolsey, D-Calif., hosted Cindy Sheehan, whose vigil for her 24-year-old soldier son killed in Iraq, Casey, reinvigorated the anti-war movement. But Sheehan was arrested and removed from the House gallery before Bush began speaking. She was charged with demonstrating in the Capitol building, a misdemeanor.

Also in Mrs. Bush's box were the family of Marine Staff Sgt. Dan Clay, 27, who was killed Dec. 1 in Fallujah.

[MORTARDUDE]

It is too bad this wasn't done during the Vietnam era. A good friend of mine at the IRS in the late 70s had a bomb sniffing dog in Vietnam. This was during the time when most troops were being withdrawn, and they wouldn't let any dogs leave Nam. They turned them all over to the ARVN. You can only imagine what happened then. His story brought tears to my eyes. Glad someone finally had some common sense.

Larry

[Packo]

Larry,

From my understanding from another Dog Handler was that the dog's also picked up some sort of disease, automatically in Vietnam, that they could not get rid of. They did not want them coming back to infect the dog population here. Now, that's what I was told but don't know how true. Maybe somebody else can let us know.

Pack

[frisco-kid]

Rex deserved his seat of honor. I'm also glad to hear that he and T/Sgt. Dana were reunited as best friends instead of just co-workers.

I agree with Larry. The leaving behind of these "soldiers" in VN was one of our shames. A handful did make it out but, like Larry said, they were all turned over to the ARVNs. Hell, most of them were bigger than the ARVNs. They were probably scared to death of them. I can only imagine the life and lack of care they endured. As a life-long dog lover, I can imagine the pain endured by the handlers to turn them over.

Packo, I think what you're thinking of is heart worms transmitted by mosquitoes. Today they have a preventative vaccine against them. I'm betting they didn't back then.

A truly great story with a well deserved happy ending. We've seen too few of those.

Just hope Rex don't mind bein called a dpg.

[SuperScout]

You are absolutely correct! I've seen dawgs, I know dawgs, and Rex is a real dog! Fact is, ol' Rex is purtier than some of the dawgs I saw last night! (Dang Spell-checker!)

[Jerry D]

or one could say dpg stood for distinguished persona grata I too was glad to hear about the Happy Conclusion to TSgt Dana & Rex's Story