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From the VDHA President

 

 

 

 






by John R. Harvey

June, 2025

It is with continuing sorrow

that I must report to the VDHA 

 family the passing of our

former Web Master and BX manager

Dave Broeker. After a long 

and courageous battle, 

Dave left this world 

behind and I am sure 

is reunited with his 

faithful K-9 

Companions.


Our sympathy and 

prayers go out to 

his wife Patricia and 

family. Words alone 

cannot describe the 

contribution that 

he made to our 

organization 

throughout the past 

20 years. His wisdom 

and counsel will be 

missed by all.


As we experience this 

year’s Memorial Day, 

Please take a moment 

and remember all those 

who gave the ultimate 

sacrifice on the 

battlefields of Vietnam. 

Also remember those 

who came home and 

for years fought the 

good fight to make 

America the land of 

Opportunity before 

succumbing to the 

scars they brought

home. 

  

Travel, the U.S. military 

coined the phrase “Join 

and see the world.” 

Well in 1966 when I

joined the Marine Corps

they did live up to the

promise. My first

experience was a

Caribbean cruise

aboard the USS Guam,

an LPH otherwise known

as a landing platform for

helicopters. We trained 

throughout the Caribbean, 

including the lovely

island of Vieques.

The hot and humid

weather was great

training for my next 

experience in a place 

called Vietnam. 

  

Early on we were 

introduced to a 

culinary delight 

known as C-Rations 

a/k/a “Meal Combat 

Individual.” There were 

twelve basic meals of 

canned meat, fruit or 

cake, and crackers. 

Included was an 

accessory packet with 

coffee, cream substitute, 

sugar, gum, matches, 

cigarettes and the 

infamous toilet paper. 

If you remember the 

toilet paper consisted 

of 10-12 three-inch

squares wrapped in 

a brown paper covering. 

The term “paper thin” 

I believe originated 

from the description 

of the paper wrapped 

in those brown little 

packages. To say 

that you could see 

thru it was an 

understatement. The 

joke was to make sure 

that the user kept a 

tiny little piece aside 

to clean out from under 

their finger nails when 

finished. Actually, the 

Term toilet paper was 

an oxymoron, unless 

of course you wanted 

to call the small hole 

you had just dug on the 

side of a trail with your 

e-tool, a toilet. At this 

point you are asking 

why are we discussing 

toilet paper. 


This week is one of 

remembrance, the 

good, the tragic and 

the funny. I recently 

returned home from 

a month traveling 

around parts of 

Europe. I found 

that the toilet paper 

in Europe was not 

all that different 

than the paper we 

found in our C-Rations. 

I was asked what 

did I enjoy the most and

my immediate response

was the wine and thin

crust Pizza in Rome. The

second question was,

what was the thing

that I missed most about

home. My immediate

answer was “Charmin,

extra wide, ultra soft,

smooth tear.” I never

did quite understand

how to use the faucet

on the bidet.


Anyway, I am finally

home where I can wipe

without the paper falling

apart, and I no longer

have to save that tiny

piece to clean out from

under my nails.


Semper Fi and God Bless America 

AFTER THE TEARS.
What do you do after losing a close friend or loved one
one? Some cultures perform a wailing ritual as they do
carry the individual to their final resting place.
Much to my wife's dismay, I don't cry a lot. During
our seven years together, she has probably only
witnessed me cry three, maybe four times. The first time
was when she showed me a letter that she had written
to God asking him to bring to her someone who would

love and honor here. I quickly volunteered AFTER THE TEARS.

 


The Deadline to submit Articles
for the December 2024 DogMan
issue is November 23, 2024.
Please send to dogman@vdha.us

       The VDHA was organized in 1993 by a group of six veteran war dog handlers who served during the Vietnam Conflict. One of their original goals was to search for and re-unite veteran war dog handlers and honor the memory of their war dog partners.
       As a result, the VDHA has grown from six members to approximately 2000 members. Our membership consists of veteran war dog handlers and dog loving supporters of all ages and gender.
       Many members have been featured in the print and film media, and during many of our nation's annually scheduled patriotic events. A significant achievement is the highly acclaimed TV documentary, "War Dogs, America's Forgotten Heroes." We welcome the informational contributions of all dog handlers from all eras.
       The VDHA was founded with three core objectives in mind:
• Educate the public of the accomplishments of dog handlers in the United States Armed Forces during the Vietnam Conflict and the dogs that served with them.
• Provide opportunities for the research and preparation of a detailed history of the use of dogs in the Vietnam Conflict.
• Locate and provide fellowship among dog handlers of all US Armed Services.
       The VDHA continues to be a part of war dog memorial projects throughout the country. Some have since been dedicated and more are on the horizon.
       Getting the US Postal Service to issue a War Dog Stamp that honors the service and sacrifice of the nation's war dogs is one of our goals.
       Educating the public on what these incredible four-footed animals have done to save American lives on the battlefields of foreign wars is always at the forefront of every effort we support or sponsor. During every modern War, WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Persian Gulf, Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Iraq, men have volunteered to serve as "Dog Handlers." The military duty of having served with a dog in War is a bonding relationship and memorable experience like no other, that lasts a lifetime.

 

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