You know that dogs hold a special place in my heart, and the photograph above1 of an enlisted soldier at Fort Sill, Oklahoma and their dog mascot with Mr. Vest’s words seemed especially appropriate for Veterans Day.
If you’re not familiar with Mr. Vest, let me tell you a little about him.
In the 1870’s, George Graham Vest represented his client, the plaintiff, Charles Burden, in a lawsuit against a neighboring sheep farmer who had killed Mr. Burden’s beloved foxhound, Old Drum. His eloquent closing argument became well known as “Eulogy of the Dog” and is still well-loved by dog lovers everywhere.
His words are in the introduction of a wonderful book about the military and their animal companions during the second World War. “Buddies: Heartwarming Photos of GIs and Their Dogs in World War II“2 is the title of the book, and I’m giving away a copy to two lucky winners.3
If you adore dogs or if you or a loved one served in the military, I’m sure you’ll treasure this book2 and the photos within it.
To see what I mean, below is a small selection of the ~200 photos within the book5:
To enter the giveaway, simply leave a comment below.
[UPDATE AS OF 11/19/15: The winners are Jan A. and Bill. Congratulations!]
Giveaway Rules:
- This giveaway will begin when this blog post is published and will end at 2:00 p.m. CST on Wednesday, November 18, 2015.Two winners will be selected and each will receive one copy of the book.
- This giveaway is open to US residents only and anyone who visits my blog and follows the rules above.
- Each person may enter one time only.
- The winner will be chosen randomly and announced via Facebook. This blog post will also be updated with the winner’s name.
- The winners will be notified via email shortly after the giveaway ends. Each winner has 3 calendar days after the date of the notification to provide their name, address, and phone number to Living Vintage. (The phone number is needed for shipping purposes only.) If the winner does not respond within that time frame, that person will be disqualified and another winner will be chosen. The process will continue until Living Vintage receives the requested information.
Wonderful tribute to man’s best friend during the worst of times, Kim.
Thanks for sharing that wonderful eulogy, what a lovely tribute to Old Drum, and a great Veterans gift.
I am the wife of a 24 year A.F. Veteran & the Momma to 2 dogs, so this book makes my heart smile!♡
Thank you Kim for a beautiful post. It made my day as I think about those who have fought for our freedoms.
Love dogs, love the sentiment and love the pictures.
What an expression of love and honor this book is! My dog-loving sailor son would enjoy this!
It is kind of funny that even after all these years, soldiers still find ways to make friends with a local stray or two even in the pit of the world otherwise known as the Middle East. We have all had the opportunity (while deployed) to meet with a curious pooch even if only for a few minutes. They may approach, sniff you out, check your pockets, and move on or they may stay for a while and become a part of everyday life after a belly scratch and a quick snack. They may be in a foreign land but they are anything but foreign. They love unconditionally and they don’t care what language you speak. It is such a bit of normalcy in rather austere conditions. A furry blessing for sure!
There have been many photos and videos of dogs greeting their soldiers returning home, and those pictures never cease to bring tears to my eyes and a lump to my throat. We need to remember to also be grateful for the dogs who were killed in war or retired from service and those that are trained as companions for today’s veterans.
Wonderful post on the love we all have for dogs.
My dad was in the Air Force for 20 years. One of my favorite pictures of him was taken overseas when he was in either Japan or Vietnam… befriending a stray dog. I would love a copy of this book. thank you for the giveaway.
How neat ~ didn’t know there was such a book 🙂
A lovely tribute to the domesticated dog! It’s amazing that they seemed to be allowed to be with those who fought. Thank you for the opportunity to win!
This would be a fascinating read!
Wow! What a great book. I would love to win this. I don’t know who would want it more, my son-in-law,the veteran; or for my daughter, the uber- dog-lover. Thanks for hosting this giveaway.
What a wonderful peek of what is included in the book. Thanks for sharing and the opportunity to read the rest of the book.
What an amazing tribute! Thank you for sharing this!
This will make a perfect gift for my favorite dog lover!
The dogs that served and continue to serve are some of the most important and unrecognized part of the military.
Dogs have saved 1000’s of lives on and off the battlefield with their loyalty and bravery. They are also helping many vets with PTSD cope with the horrible things they have seen after they come home from war. Truly mans best friend.
God bless Diesel, the French police dog killed on Friday in the terror attacks in Paris.