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Last week during the Thanksgiving Break I decided to watch a few T.V. shows that had been recorded awhile back but hadn't been watched yet. One of the shows that had actually been recorded by my husband, but grabbed my attention was HBO's War Dog: A Soldier's Best Friend. It premiered on Veteran's Day, but has been streaming on HBO daily. It was produced by Channing Tatum, among others.They did a great job, I must say!
I wasn't prepared for the range of emotions that hit me with stories of 3 different war veterans, all heroes, and their canine companions. One story is about a dog who took a bullet before it hit his soldier, one is about a soldier who took a bullet rather than let his dog unnecessarily get into the frey, and one is about a dog who made the ultimate sacrifice for his "family" of soldiers.
It was very apparent that these dogs meant everything to these soldiers and they became like family to them, going through the traumatic circumstances of war with them. The dogs didn't wait at home, hoping that their masters would return. No, they experienced actual combat situations with them and were trained beforehand to help them carry out their difficult missions.
The portrayal of the bond between these veterans and their dogs is masterfully done. It is unequivocal that once a dog and his soldier go through the things they do together, that they are bonded for life. Think about it. These soldiers do things that normal people can't even fathom doing. And it starts during their training. It's so intense, with their dogs going right along with them. When all is said and done, these soldiers need some help when they come back to civilian life. They are that much better off if they have their canine companions there with them to show them how to get back to normalcy.
