I was stationed at Cam Ranh Air Base with the United Stats Air Force in Vietnam from 1970 to 1971.

It was my first duty station after nearly a year of training. I had three months of basic then Security Police School followed By Patrol Dog School and Combat Preparedness Course. My dog’s name was Kobuc. Our responsibility was to detect Enemy movement, alert the base. We usually had to follow our dog alerts alone. Sometimes it meant engaging with the enemy. We had to protect the working people on the base and the base resources.

My father and his two brothers were in WWII. Dad would answer my questions about the war, but it was like pulling teeth. During the war he searched for enemy subs in a Navy Blimp. The war changed me profoundly. I became a Christian and a follower of Christ which in my case led to being a minister for the past forty years. The effects of the war are with me still having PTS. The worst part for me came on May 23, 1971. Kobuc alerted into the woods, and we walked into an enemy squad trying to attack our jet fuel storage tanks. They threw two satchel charges at us which exploded, knocking us to the ground. We exchanged gun fire while taking a few rounds of rockets. It was over rather quickly. There were two other k9 teams involved with me. The fear of danger existed every night of our year of duty.

The military had several thousand specially trained dogs that were in Vietnam and were later euthanized upon America’s withdrawal. Most of us didn’t learn about their fate for twenty years. It was a sad day. They deserved better. We have been dedicating monuments to their memory around the country since then. The reason the government gave was that they had some kind of disease which was not the truth. The dogs were listed as equipment, and all equipment was left behind… America’s withdrawal was Fast and chaotic. Last year our k9 group met in Plymouth, Mass for a reunion after 43 years. It was like we never were apart. We plan to meet this year also.

I am proud of my service in an unpopular war. I was met at the airport by my wife and parents. I still had two years on my four year enlistment. After 30 days, my wife and I drove to Fairchild Air Force Base in Washington state, where they inserved out my term. Most people were indifferent to my service. Many of my friends were treated terribly at the airports. I was lucky.

Below is an excerpt from a book of poems based on my wartime experience and published in POEMS FROM A SOLDIER.
A Pool Of Blood
A pool of blood lay on the ground.
A pool of blood was all we found.
I saw his face
It was so young.
I saw his face.
He could not run.
A burst of lead came raining down.
A burst of lead into the ground.
I see your face sometimes at night.
I see your face a haunting sight.
The next day you were not found.
Just a pool of blood lay on the ground.

The Vietnam War deeply divided our nation during the 60’s and early 70’s. Our returning soldiers during America’s longest war were treated shamefully in parts of the country. In time the public has learned to separate the war and the warrior. As a result many veterans did not speak of their year away from home for a long time if ever. It took me 20 years to slowly tell people by way of poems what it was like. At first they trickled out and then the trickle turned into a flood through the years.

This book is also about the wonderful War Dogs of Vietnam. My sentry dog’s name was Kobuc. Our Air Base was the largest in Vietnam. The Security Policemen were the first line of defense to protect the many bases in Vietnam. I served at Cam Ranh Air Base with a great bunch of guys that made that long year almost tolerable. Most of the several thousand dogs that went to Vietnam never returned.This book tells their story as well.

~Steve Janke, Vietnam Veteran, Minister and Author of Poems From a Soldier, available @ www.amazon.com/Poems-Soldier-Vietnam-1…/…/ref=sr_1_1…

We are very grateful to Steve for sharing these photos and his story with Comes A Soldier’s Whisper, where we are all connected.

God Bless all who serve and keep us safe.

Veteran Tributes : www.facebook.com/ComesASoldierswhisper

‪#‎SupportOurTroops‬ ‪#‎Military‬ ‪#‎ComesASoldiersWhisper‬