美國爲軍犬建立首座國家紀念碑

The newly unveiled U.S. Military Working Dog Teams National Monument is seen at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, in San Antonio, Texas October 28, 2013. JBSA-Lackland is the home to the Department of Defense Military Working Dog Program and is where the U.S. Armed Forces has been training its military working dog teams since 1958. The United States' first national monument to a soldier's best friend, recognizing the sacrifices of dogs in combat, was dedicated by the U.S. Military on Monday. SAN ANTONIO (Reuters) - The United States' first national monument to a soldier's best friend, recognizing the sacrifices of dogs in combat, was dedicated by the U.S. military on Monday.

Inscribed with the words "Guardians of America's Freedom," the nine-foot tall bronze statue at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, features four dogs and a handler.

"These dogs were patriots just as much as anybody else who served," said military dog handler John Baker of Fallon, Nevada, whose 212th Military Police Company Detachment A was known as "Hell on Paws."

Lackland is home to the U.S. Armed Forces center that has trained dogs for all branches of the military since 1958.

The sculpture, built with private donations, features the four major breeds used since World War Two: Doberman Pinscher, German Shepherd, Labrador Retriever, and Belgian Malinois.

In World War I, a bulldog named Stubby helped sniff out poison gas, was promoted to sergeant, decorated for bravery by General John Pershing, and became the mascot for Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

During World War II and in Korea and Vietnam, dogs were used as sentries, scouts, and trackers. In Iraq and Afghanistan, dogs have detected improvised explosive devises (IEDs) and roadside explosives.

Larry Buehner, who served in Vietnam as a platoon scout with the Army's First Cavalry Division, said he is alive because of his military dog.

"Callie saved my life on at least one occasion," he said on Monday of the dog that accompanied him and his unit on jungle patrols.

John Burnam, who handled dogs during the war in Vietnam, said he got the idea for a memorial after military officials decided not to let dogs working in Vietnam return to the United States with their handlers.

"They were heroes, and they were left to die," said Burnam, who has written two books about combat dogs.

"Dog units are worth a million dollars for everything they do ... You can't say enough, you can't give enough accolades to them."據英國媒體10月29日報道，爲表彰軍犬在戰時所做的犧牲與貢獻，當地時間10月29日，美國軍方爲這些和軍人一起出生入死的“摯友”豎立的首座國家紀念碑揭幕。

這座專爲軍犬豎立的國家紀念碑坐落於美國得克薩斯州聖安東尼奧市的拉克蘭空軍基地，由私人捐款建造而成。自1958年起，拉克蘭空軍基地開始負責爲美軍各個軍事部門訓練軍犬。

紀念碑由4只軍犬和1名軍犬訓練師的銅質雕像組成，高約9英尺（約合2.74米），銅像上刻有“美國自由守護者”的字樣。4只軍犬的銅像分別爲杜賓犬、德國牧羊犬、拉布拉多尋回犬和比利時馬裏努阿犬，它們是二戰以來美國戰地軍犬的主要犬種。

“這些軍犬同任何曾在軍隊服役的士兵一樣，都是名副其實的愛國者。”軍犬訓練師約翰·貝克來自內華達州法隆市，他所在的美軍第212憲兵隊A分隊被稱爲“爪上的地獄”，以訓練優秀軍犬而聞名。

另一名越戰老兵拉里·比納也出席了28日的揭幕儀式。看到紀念碑，他回憶起陪同他和他的戰友在危險的叢林裏巡邏的軍犬考利，“它至少救過我一次”。

退伍軍犬訓練師約翰·伯納姆寫過兩本有關軍犬的書，他是爲軍犬設立首座國家紀念碑的主要推動者之一。伯納姆說，越戰期間他在軍中負責訓練軍犬，聽說軍方決定將軍犬留在越南不帶回美國後，他就產生了爲軍犬設立紀念碑的想法，“它們是英雄，它們留下來是要送死的。軍犬的貢獻無法用金錢或者言語來衡量，再多的讚美、再多的勳章都不夠”。

一戰期間，一隻名爲斯圖比的鬥牛犬嗅到毒氣立下戰功，歐洲美國遠征軍總司令約翰·潘興將其晉升爲中士以示嘉獎。後來，斯圖比還成爲美國喬治城大學的吉祥物。二戰及朝鮮戰爭、越南戰爭期間，軍犬被用來放哨、偵查和追捕。伊拉克和阿富汗戰爭時，軍犬則擔負起偵查簡易爆炸裝置和路邊炸彈的重任。