Other Post Pets In The Military

[Frisco-Kid]

My first 2wks. in the 101st was spent at the main basecamp in Phan Rang getting processed in, drawing equipment, and going through P-Training. I wasn't there very long before I noticed a monkey that kind of had the run of the place. I don't know what kind he was, but he was of medium build [for a monkey] and about 3ft. tall when he stood on his hind legs.

He didn't belong to anyone in particular. His original owner probably rotated out, walking or otherwise. Everyone just fed him whatever. Now remember, we're talking about a bunch of young paratroopers. This guys diet consisted of mostly beer, whiskey, junk food, and more beer. He would smoke a cigarette if offered. From what I could see, he spent most of the time drunk or sleeping.

When I was sent up-country to join my unit, I didn't return to Phan Rang for 4mos.. That was to be sent to Saigon to see a dermotologist for a jungle rot that I contracted. The first thing I noticed was the monkey was missing. After asking around I found out what happened to him.

He kept drinking more, and eating less. I guess he got to be a pretty mean drunk; hardly anyone could handle him. It was decided that he had to be gotten rid of. However, he was so liked by everyone no one wanted to just shoot him. It was decided that he would be turned loose, but not in that condition. He was captured and caged. He was sobered up [wonder what a monkey's DTs are like] and fed the healthiest foods that could be gotten from the mess hall or off of the locals. He did this regemin for about 6wks..

It was decided that since he was with an airborne unit, he should parachute into the jungle somewhere for his freedom. They got a flare parachute and made a harness for him, something that they felt he could get out of once on the ground. At the first opportunity he was taken up in a chopper. They hovered at about 100ft. over some jungle west of Phan Rang, and out the door the monkey went. He was last seen landing in the top of some trees in a triple canopy jungle. As far as I know, he was the only monkey to be Airborne qualified. Well, there was this staff sergeant that closely resembled an ape .


While at Cam Ranh Bay during my second tour, seemed to be quite afew dogs around. One night in my hootch a guy is coming back from taking a shower [I loved being a REMF ] after lights out, and trips over a dog in the dark. He cusses and takes a swift kick at it. He kicks a foot locker as hard as he can, while wearing flip-flops, instead. He lets out a BLOOD-CURDLING scream. When we turn the lights on, the guy is sitting in the middle of the floor rocking back and forth holding his foot. There's a fair amount of blood around him. When I take a look, he's about ripped his little toe off. It's barely hanging there by a piece of skin. I tip the toe up into the position that it should be, and the guy screams again and faints . He lost the toe. Personally, I didn't feel too sorry for him. I've always been a huge dog lover. Have 3 of them now.


So, anyone else with a pet story?

 

[Bombardier]

I remember whilst serving in The British Army Training Unit Suffield, Canada. BATUS for short and in the state of Alberta, a lot of the guys would capture Gophers and keep them for pets while they were there, infact I even saw one Squaddie with a Gopher that had a Collar and lead.

Crazy Little critters those Gophers

 

[Hollis]

Our company(I 3/3) had one of those yellow dogs, we called top, comm company called theirs gunny. Top wandered off to Mike company one day, and came back with a black circle around his one eye, (like the dog from the Little Rascals". It was made by a magic marker.

I believed Top even had a service record and had office hours once. Battalion command decided that no pets were to be allowed in the battalion area, The order came down, and what went up, back to command encouraged them to recend the Order. I think Top (our first Sgt) said anyone shoots top, he would shoot them. It was a hushed up affair. It just came and went without additional incident.

I think the dog added to the over all company moral. He was everyone buddy.

Not sure what ever happened to him, I think he was passed on to another unit, when 3rd MarDiv was pulled out of country.

 

[John A Silkstone]

While stationed in Nicosia Cyprus in 1962, a large lizard lived in the roof area of the medical centre, and so I started to place small amounts of minced meat on a side plate.

After a few days it would come down to eat, and after about six weeks it would sit on my desk waiting for a meal.

As time moved on it started to follow me around the camp scurrying from one rock to another at the side of the road. When it was time to leave I introduced my new relief to Charlie as he was now called, who carried on feeding it.

When I returned to Cyprus in 1972 for another tour, I was intrude to three lizards that where fed outside the medical centre. Though I never saw Charlie.

Silky

 

[Bombardier]

Maybe word got around in the Lizard world mate, or maybe they were Charlies offspring ? .

Great story Silky.

Hollis, is that what you call prairie dogs "Yellow Dogs" ?

 

[Hollis]

Maybe word got around in the Lizard world mate, or maybe they were Charlies offspring ? .

Great story Silky.

Hollis, is that what you call prairie dogs "Yellow Dogs" ?

No, In Viet-Nam there were these yellow dogs, not very big, with a curled tail.

prairie dogs (not really dogs) are about the size of squirrels and live under ground. There are great sport to hunt. In eastern Oregon they are called field rats. The undermine the ground for live stock and destroy crops. The farmers generally welcome hunters to "knock" them off. In Western Arizon, there was a large colony of Prairie dogs, We used varmiters rifles and shoot from ranges 300 -400 yards. I am going to upload a few picture of my varmiters later, a 220 Swift (remington) and a 243 Ruger, I have some others.

 

[trackman]

im going back some time now...... cant remember the year....aprox 73/4 we were allowed pets in the block... this was thought to make it "homely".... well being young tipical squadies..... there was the budgies,the dogs,a parrot and one bloody small aligator............ it was kept in a fish tank,but every now and then it was let loose into our swimming pool behind the block,it was fun trying to catch the thing again.....especially after a good night on the town....... it was well looked after,it had plenty of room in its fish tank,this was heated by a small tank heater thing and was well fed, mostly on bacon butties......... well one night the heater thingy was left on....... the poor thing ended up being boiled ........... not long after this the "homely" look was stopped,and all pets had to go.............

 

[Matzos]

I was 2IC a barrack block once and one night I was there on a 'Bull Night' and there were 'pets' in almost very room, ranging from birds, snakes, fish and rats.
Each RAF unit has it's own rules on the kepping of pets in the barrack blocks, it's up to the Station Commander if you can have anything or not.

 

[Doc 2/47]

 

[John A Silkstone]

Great photo,

the question is can he sniff out the enemy, and does he live on K9 rations?

Silky

 

[Doc 2/47]

Got called away before I could explain the picture. The dog is JoJo. I took the picture May '70 on day 3 or maybe 4 of the Cambodia Incursion. He traveled with Maj. Weeks for the duration and was a vetran of several firefights. Never flinched or ran away. He was mentioned in Keith Nolan's "Into Cambodia". I'll see if I can find and post the refrence.

I have a poem here: http://iwvpa.net/keimhe/index.php

 

[Advisor]

We had 2 dogs while I was in RVN. The first one, 'B*tch', was a tad bit strange...aw heck he was gay, a bit of a limp paw if you know what I mean. He kept trying to hump other males & kept getting his little arse handed to him. He disappeared...I think our neighboring Ruff Puffs had him for rations one day. Our second one, C**t, ate paper. Not food wrappers...paper. I always wondered if he was part goat. He was still munching away when I left.

 

[GunBunnyInaMAB]

Stunt kitty

Closest thing I can relate to this thread is our Battery's Stunt Kitty. She was a stray that some of the guys started feeding left over C Rations to, and she just kinda moved into the barracks. Top and the Battery Comander just looked the other way.

Some of the "Heads" in our unit decided to see if cats really did land on their feet, so after getting kitty into an altered state, she was dropped out of the second story window, and sure as shizza, she landed on her feet. Then she marched right back into the barracks as if nothing had happened. After that, someone coined the name Stunt Kitty and it stuck.

solthum

Those same Heads got busted the next day on a battalion wide piss test. Kitty got her revenge. As far as I know, she was still hanging around when I rotated back to the states 2 years later.

 

[JackieSB]

My husband Jim was in the US Navy, a radio man, he served aboard two aircraft carriers, USS Hancock was one, I can't remember the other one right now, and he also spent time at Cam Ranh Bay. Wasn't it also nick-named Run-Amok Bay.? He told me about a dog that some of the men adopted, it was covered in ticks, so they took it into the sea, it sqealed and yelped but the salt caused the ticks to drop off. He also told me that Coca Cola (I think) used to print something on the bottom of the inside of the cans, when they stopped doing it, the men wrote and complained, and the Coca Cola company shipped out a brand new fridge and a supply of coke with the slogans in the cans.