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2026 VDHA Reunion
Doubletree By Hilton Riverfront
New Bern, NC
May 28th - May 30, 2026

 

Information form link #mce_temp_url#  

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From the VDHA President

 

 

 

 






by John R. Harvey

June, 2025

It is with continuing I'm sorry that I have to report to the VDHAfamily the passing ofour former Web Masterand BX manager DaveBroeker. After a longand courageous battle,Dave left this worldbehind and I am sureis reunited with hisloyal K-9Companions . Our sympathy andprayers go out tohis wife Patricia and family. Words alonecan't describe thecontribution thathe made usorganizationthroughout the past20 years. His wisdomand counsel will be missed by all. As we experience thisMemorial Day,Please take a moment.and remember all thosewho have the ultimatesacrifice on the battlefields of Vietnam.Also remember thosewho came home andfor years fought thegood fight to makeAmerica the land ofOpportunity beforesuccumbing to thescars they brought home.Travel, the US militarycoined the phrase “Joinand see the world.”Well in 1966 when I joined  the Marine Corpsthey lived up to thepromise. My firstexperience was aCaribbean cruise aboard the USS Guam,an LPH otherwise knownas a landing platform forhelicopters. We trainedthroughout the Caribbean,including the lovely Island of Vieques.The hot and humidThe weather was great.training for my nextexperience in one placecalled Vietnam.Early on we wereintroduced to aculinary delightknown as C-Rationsa/k/a “Meal Combat”Individual.” There weretwelve basic meals ofcanned meat, fruit orcake, and crackers.Included was anaccessory pack withcoffee, cream substitute,sugar, gum, matches,                                                                                                                                           cigarettes and theinfamous toilet paper.If you remember the toilet paper consistedof 10-12 three-inchsquares wrapped ina brown paper cover.The term “paper thin”I believe originatedfrom the descriptionof the paper wrappedin those little brown packages. To saythat you could seethrough it was anunderstatement. Thejoke was to make surethat the user kept atiny little piece asideto clean out from undertheir fingernails whenfinished. Actually, theThe term toilet paper wasan oxymoron, unlessof course you wantedto call the small holeyou had just dug on theside of a trail with youre-tool, a toilet. At this point you are askingwhy are we discussingtoilet paper.This week is one ofremembrance , thegood, the tragic andthe funny . I recentlyreturned home froma month of travelingaround parts ofEurope. I foundthat toilet paperin Europe was notall that different than the paper wefound in our C-Rations. I was asked whatdid I enjoy the most and my immediate response was the wine and thincrust Pizza in Rome. TheThe second question was,What was the matter?that I missed most abouthome. My immediateanswer was “Charmin,extra wide, ultra soft," I never did you understandhow to use the fauceton the bidet.Anyway, I am finally home where I can wipewithout the paper fallingapart, and I no longerhave to save that tinypiece to clean out ofunder 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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