美国为军犬建立首座国家纪念碑

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."

据英国媒体10月29日报道，为表彰军犬在战时所做的牺牲与贡献，当地时间10月29日，美国军方为这些和军人一起出生入死的“挚友”竖立的首座国家纪念碑揭幕。

这座专为军犬竖立的国家纪念碑坐落于美国得克萨斯州圣安东尼奥市的拉克兰空军基地，由私人捐款建造而成。自1958年起，拉克兰空军基地开始负责为美军各个军事部门训练军犬。

纪念碑由4只军犬和1名军犬训练师的铜质雕像组成，高约9英尺（约合2.74米），铜像上刻有“美国自由守护者”的字样。4只军犬的铜像分别为杜宾犬、德国牧羊犬、拉布拉多寻回犬和比利时马里努阿犬，它们是二战以来美国战地军犬的主要犬种。

“这些军犬同任何曾在军队服役的士兵一样，都是名副其实的爱国者。”军犬训练师约翰·贝克来自内华达州法隆市，他所在的美军第212宪兵队A分队被称为“爪上的地狱”，以训练优秀军犬而闻名。

另一名越战老兵拉里·比纳也出席了28日的揭幕仪式。看到纪念碑，他回忆起陪同他和他的战友在危险的丛林里巡逻的军犬考利，“它至少救过我一次”。

退伍军犬训练师约翰·伯纳姆写过两本有关军犬的书，他是为军犬设立首座国家纪念碑的主要推动者之一。伯纳姆说，越战期间他在军中负责训练军犬，听说军方决定将军犬留在越南不带回美国后，他就产生了为军犬设立纪念碑的想法，“它们是英雄，它们留下来是要送死的。军犬的贡献无法用金钱或者言语来衡量，再多的赞美、再多的勋章都不够”。

一战期间，一只名为斯图比的斗牛犬嗅到毒气立下战功，欧洲美国远征军总司令约翰·潘兴将其晋升为中士以示嘉奖。后来，斯图比还成为美国乔治城大学的吉祥物。二战及朝鲜战争、越南战争期间，军犬被用来放哨、侦查和追捕。伊拉克和阿富汗战争时，军犬则担负起侦查简易爆炸装置和路边炸弹的重任。