Not Forgotten; Alaskan War Dogs by Jack Waid
On 28 Oct 2013, at Lackland AFB, TX a monument was dedicated to military working dog teams. An article stated it specifically recognizes the sacrifices of dogs in combat…a tribute to the military working dog and their handlers. It captures the essence of what we imagine today as the lone sentry with his trusty dog. The military dog conjures up images of the Doberman on the sands of Iwo Jima or the Belgian Malinois as seen on many military installations today. It most certainly brings to mind the many images of the military working dog teams currently engaged in missions in the Middle East.
The importance of this monument cannot be understated. It is a memorable reminder; a picture speaking a multitude of words. Yet there is something missing from the monument; absent from this memorable monument is the Alaska Military Working Dog. The Lackland monument gives the viewer the impression there were no other military working dogs but the ones shown or that the dogs shown are the most important. It seems the Military Working Dog Team has a different meaning today than in the distant past. Otherwise, the Alaskan Military Working Dog would have been recognized with this monument. Certainly as stated, the description of military working dog teams is relevant today in Alaska however, in the not so distant past Alaska boasted the only military working dogs in the whole of the U.S. Military. In his book, “War Dogs,” author Michael Lemish, shares that at the beginning of World War Two (WWII) there were only about 50 military working dogs and they were all Alaskan sled dogs.
The monument was erected to honor the service of military working dog teams dating back to WWII. So, it would stand to reason the only military dogs in any military branch at the beginning of WWII should be recognized. It seems the Alaska Military Working Dog should find its rightful place alongside the Doberman, German Shepherd, Labrador and Belgian Malinois; just to name a few.
The use of dogs in Alaska is not a new concept, Author David Anderson states, “In interior Alaska, the history of dog team use …can be traced to the contact period 150 years ago and before. Ethnographic and historic accounts from the 100-year period 1850 to 1950 show that dogs were traditionally used to support a variety of activities including trapping, commercial freighting, individual and family transportation, racing and even military applications [such as exploration].”
In the 1880s exploring Alaska was predominately accomplished by the U.S. Army (the U.S. Navy played a small role), “The winter 1882-83 proved to be far more trying to the expedition than the one previous, with the routine becoming more monotonous and the newness of the adventure completely disappearing. Preparations were made for trips into the interior to locate geographically some of the discoveries made during the past year Lt Ray wrote, “I had by this time secured on excellent team of eight native dogs and the sled made at St. Michael’s, given me by Sergeant Nelson in 1881, still being strong and serviceable, I was well equipped for inland work,”” this reference from “The Army’s Role in the Building of Alaska”, Pamphlet 360-5, 1 Apr 1969.
Retired Major General Joseph Castner (father of Colonel Lawrence Castner of Castner’s Cutthroats fame from WWII), as an Army Lieutenant explored the interior of Alaska. During his 1898-1899 exploration mission, he along with his men used dog teams and sleds as they explored from the Cook Inlet region to the areas around North Pole and Fairbanks, AK prior to heading up the Yukon River to Ft Yukon, AK.
The Klondike or Alaskan Gold Rush periods of the 1890s brought new life to southeast Alaska and Canadian territories. Sled and pack dogs (some military owned) were brought in to help haul freight however, it was not long before mushers began to wager on the speed of their dogs or the pulling strength of one dog team over another. Thus began organized racing in Alaska. Out of this racing would emerge a new “breed” of dog, the Alaskan Husky. The Alaskan Husky was a mixture of dogs such as Malamutes, Siberian Huskies and others breed to create the fastest and strongest dogs possible for racing and pulling competitions. As a result kennel clubs began to spring up throughout Alaska and these clubs began to sponsor races.
Also during this time an Army Signal Corps officer, Lt William “Billy” Mitchell arrived in Alaska and he was on a tight timeline. Between 1901 and 1905 he was directed to connect Alaska by telegraph. Previous work had been hampered by the Alaskan interior winters however, by talking with the local population Mitchell, developed a plan. He believed he could work year round while erecting the WAMCATS (Washington-Alaska Military Cable and Telegraph System) and the big proponent of his success would be by using dogs. He sought out local dog experts who taught him the fine art of mushing. He used his new found skills and knowledge acquired to purchase, for the government, 80 dogs along with harnesses and sleds, according to Helen Hegener. For the most part he kept them in a corral at Fort Egbert running together in a pack rather than in separate kennels. If he found a dog to be too aggressive he had them castrated or had their incisors filed or removed; this calmed most aggressive dogs. Mitchell had his dogs so well trained he could feed them all at the same time with little issue. He had a whip on standby just in case any dogs got out of line. With these dogs, men, sleds, supplies and equipment hundreds of miles were traversed to complete the WAMCATS within two years, well ahead of his five year schedule.
During 1920, General Mitchell was assistant chief of the Army Air Service; he organized the flight of the Black Wolf Squadron from New York to Nome. This was the first military flight of its kind ever undertaken from the lower forty-eight to Alaska. According to backstage-iditarod.blogspot.com, “Several of the squadron's pilots and crewmen received sled dogs as gifts from Alaskans, including two pups from famous musher Leonhard Seppala.”
As time passed the renown of the variety of Alaskan sled and pack dogs was well known throughout the world. During World War One (WWI), the French government asked Alaska’s Darling Kennels and Alaskan Scotty Allan (All Alaska Sweepstakes legend, winner of the 1909, 1911 and 1912 races) to provide and train Alaskan sled dogs and sleds for the French war effort. 106 dogs were provided from Alaska and eventually found their way to France. While in France these dogs provided invaluable service; they opened mountainous supply routes and communication between units in the field and HQs not accessible previous. In his book, “Soldiers and Sled Dogs,” Charles L. Dean states, “Three Alaskan sled dogs in French service were awarded the Croix de Guerre, France’s highest military honors, for actions in combat. Once released from active service these dogs lived a happy peaceful life in the Alpine tourist region.” Author Helen Hegener shares on her website, northernlightmedia.com, that “Esther Birdsall Darling was awarded the French Legion of Honor medal “as the original owner of 106 huskies and Malamutes from Nome that performed heroic work in the French Alps during WWI.””
It was not long after the end of WWI that this nation was again drawn into another world war. At the beginning of WWII, as shared above, the only Military Working Dogs in the whole of the U.S. Military were being utilized by Navy and Army forces in Alaska. After the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor there was a real need to increase the number of military personnel in the Alaskan Territory. Governor Gruening, Alaska Territorial Governor at the time, asked for military support and a plan was derived to create a territorial guard. Specifically named the Alaska Territorial Guard (also called the ATG or Eskimo Scouts), was formed by Major Marvin “Muktuk” Marston, an Army Air Corps officer. Major Marston along with Territorial Governor Ernest Gruening agreed to use the Alaskan Native Population to form this guard. Being predominately comprised of Alaskan Natives Americans (Aleuts, Alutiiqs, Athabaskans, Haidas, Inupiaq, Tlingits, Tsimshian, Yupiks and white populations) spread out from the Aleutians, the interior and coastal areas of Alaska, a form of transportation was needed so Marston could make contact with potential members. The places he needed to go were normally not aircraft accessible so dog teams would have to be utilized.
Alaska National Guard, Major General John Schaeffer’s father taught Major Marston how to run a dog team. An article on sleddog.com shares that “Mary Mogg, an Eskimo from Diomede Island, Alaska, [stated] her husband Sammy Mogg used his nine best dogs to transport Muktuk Marston over two thousand miles from village to village in a World War II effort to organize the Eskimos.” As well, a member of the ATG Jorgen “Jorgy” Jorgenson, of Alaska Aviation fame, stated while at the young age of 14 and a member of the ATG most member’s to include himself used their personal dog teams to run patrols and scouting missions. The ATG put hundreds of miles behind them as they used dog teams and sleds over tundra, through woods and mountain passes. These teams not only scouted, they transferred munitions, firearms and other supplies to remote areas. For his efforts Major Marston would be recognized as an inductee in the Mushing Hall of Fame in Knik, AK.
One of the more colorful joint Native and white Alaskan units to come out of WWII was Castner’s Cutthroats, officially the First Alaska Combat Intelligence Platoon (or Alaska Scouts, not to be confused with the ATG Eskimo Scouts), At the age of 18 Mr Jorgenson was transferred to the Alaska Scouts Platoon to which he brought a few of his dogs but, mostly used “government property” dogs and sleds. Retired Major General Joseph C. Castner, will be remembered as the moderately famed, Alaskan military explorer from the late 1800s. His son, Col Lawrence Castner will forever be known as the leader of one of the most famous units to serve in Alaska during WWII. Men of this special unit knew how to live off the land and by war’s end they traveled thousands of miles to gather intelligence. They gathered their intelligence by boat, on foot, in rubber boats left behind by submerging submarines and they traveled by U.S. Army owned dog teams and sleds.
Search and rescue teams were operated throughout Alaska during WWII. These teams often used dog teams to locate and retrieve downed pilots. At Ladd Field (later Ladd AFB), experienced Alaskan dog handlers in the Army were brought in to help train and create policies on dog care and use in the field. As a side, during this time all dog operations, handling and care were the overall responsibility of the U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps. With regards to policy development it is believed two privates at Ladd Field were utilized by the Army in particular; a Private George Lockwood of Unalakleet and Car Kawagley of Nome. These two men were also instrumental in the search and rescue program at Ladd.
Of particular note, the use of pack dogs had virtually passed however; necessity is the mother of all invention and a new use for dogs in Alaska occurred. According to author Harry R. Noyes, III, “In July 1943, a large-scale campaign was launched to rid Dutch Harbor of an estimated 500,000 rats. Besides poison, traps and regulations to protect rodent-eaters such as owls, hawks and foxes, the installation medical inspector Maj. W. J. Perry brought in a large pack of terrier dogs trained to catch and kill rats. The combined tooth/talon campaign succeeded.” Though not necessarily “Alaskan” dogs these terriers deserve a moment of recognition.
During the war dog racing was severely interrupted however, after the war it came back into full swing. It was not long after WWII organizations such as the Alaska Dog Mushers Association and Alaskan Sled Dog and Racing Association were established. Races such as the North American Championship sled dog derby and the Fur Rondy Open World Championship Sled Dog Race were started.
It was into this world of dogs and racing Army jump qualified and enlisted WWII veteran, Joe Redington, Sr. (Father of the Iditarod), arrived in Alaska in 1948 from the lower 48. It was not long after Redington’s arrival that he was able to secure a government contract and served with the 5039th Maintenance and Supply Group or Rescue and Reclamation from 1949 to 1957. He along with other dog team drivers such as Sgt Eldon Bush and T/Sgt Bud Nesji took dog teams out to aircraft crash sites to help recover personnel and aircraft. Also, members of a U.S. Air Force Intelligence unit trained with Redington as it was believed familiarization on the use of dogs and sleds may be needed in the future by the USAF Intelligence Corps. As an interesting side; one of Joe Redington’s dogs played the lead role in Walt Disney’s “Nikki-Wild Dog of the North.”
It is also believed Redington had a strong association with the 10th Air Rescue Squadron. The 10th used dog teams as part of search and rescue operations here in Alaska and had jump qualified dogs assigned to the unit. After five jumps a soldier receives his jump qualification wings and dogs did as well. The history (honors and lineage) of the 10th Air Rescue Squadron is today maintained by the 210th (second tenth) Rescue Squadron of the Alaska Air National Guard with detachments throughout the state.
In the 60s the helicopter continued to become more technologically advanced and they could reach places were only dogs could go before. The need for military dogs was beginning to fade. But not before the military found other uses for Alaskan War Dogs. Though fading there was still a need as dogs were being studied at the Aero Medical Laboratory on Ft Wainwright in an effort to understand the affects cold had on humans. From the lab emerged USAF MSgt Walter Millard. MSgt Millard is the first known Air Force participation in sled dog racing in the Fairbanks area. March of 1963, he competed with huskies owned by the Aero Medical Laboratory in the preliminary heats for the North American Sled Dog Derby. However, he found the dogs he was using were built for distance but not speed and distance and had to scratch. Later his Air Force “Team” was invited to participate in the 1964 ten mile annual Jeff Studdart Invitational Race. Similar to Joe Redington, Millard was jump qualified however, he participated in combat jumps during WWII. After the war and a short break in service Millard later became a part of the Air Rescue Service. Millard made over 250 jumps throughout his service in the military and many times with sled and dogs on rescue missions.
Later in 1965 a USAF dog team driven by Air Force member Bob Belli of Elmendorf AFB competed in Fur Rondy and the following year, Air Force member Ed Duda was competing at venues around the state. The USAF continued to be involved with racing as Airman Second Class Mike Prince, assigned to Alaska Air Command raced his Air Force Team in the 1966 Fur Rondy in Anchorage, AK. USAF results were marginal; even so USAF Major General James C. Jensen took time out to thank a small army of big players on the block. In 1966, another big organization sponsored team took center stage, the USARAL Modern Winter Biathlon Training Center dog team from Fort Richardson, AK. At the teams head, though low in rank, was the lead dog, Army Private First Class (PFC) Joe Redginton, Jr., of Flathorn Lake , AK. PFC Redington along with other members; Sergeant First Class James VanHoutan, Specialist Five Larry Gibson, PFC Johnny Armstrong raced and trained the dogs PFC Redingotn competed with in 1966. This year PFC Redington won the coveted Fur Rondy trophy bringing it back to the state after many years of being won by Dr. Roland Lombard from Wayland, Massachusetts. Commanding General, U.S. Army Alaska, Major General Gerorge A. Carver was very proud of PFC Redingotn. But none more proud than Colonel Martin “Muktuk” Marston, who said of the race it was the greatest he had seen in 25 years and PFC Redington had brought great credit upon himself and the U.S. Army.
PFC Redington was enlisted specifically by the Army to race dogs in Alaska. “They came to me and told me I was going to be drafted and then offered to enlist me and bring me back to Alaska to race for the Army on a two year enlistment.” After his two years, PFC Redingotn was discharged. He had very little money in his pocket; he was an enlisted member of the U.S. Army and as such was not permitted to accept any winnings from the races and the championship he won. Joe Redington, Jr. jokingly shared that, “the Army felt his $68.00 dollars a month was enough.” With his discharge and things heating up in Vietnam the military sled dog racing programs were effectively disbanded and the Ft Richardson team dogs and equipment were sent to a form of DRMO. Mr. Joe Redington Jr., purchased a few of the dogs (still retaining their tattooed Army equipment number) and returned to civilian life and along with him seems to be the final curtain for the use of Alaskan Military Sled Dogs in Alaska.
Whether it be pack dogs, sled dogs, sentry dogs, airborne dogs, search and rescue dogs, and terrier rat dogs the heritage of the Alaska War Dog can be seen today in events such as Fur Rondy, the Yukon Quest, the Iditarod and people such as retired USAF Lt Col Blake Matray, a two time participant in the Iditarod, a Yukon Quest 300 finisher and recipient of the Eureka Lodge Veterinary Care Award at the 2008 Sheep Mountain 150, SMSgt Paul Gregory from the ANG’s 168 LRS at Eielson AFB, who raises and races sled dogs. Alaska Army National Guard SSgt Harry Alexie who raced in the 2009 Iditarod. He was selected to represent the Guard in an effort to restore its ties to the Iditarod. The Alaska Guard was formed through the great efforts of people like Major Mutktuk Marston and who can forget the ATG’s use of sled dogs. There are history strings that connect Alaska Military Dogs to events and organizations past and present throughout the state. None of these connections are more important and significant than those carrying on the heritage of the Alaskan War Dog today. Specifically, MWD teams such as Security Forces Dog handlers at Eielson AFB; TSgt Matthew Mosher, 354 Security Forces Kennel Master and SSgt Matthew Phebus with his dog Zzaryn from 354th SFS K-9 section and other dogs and handlers scattered throughout the state of Alaska at multiple military installations.
TSgt James Brock Jr. of the Alaska Communications Region at Elmendorf Air Force Base wrote a fitting poem in 1965; “The course is fast, the snow just right. “Mush! (Crack) pull with all your might!” (Crack) “Mush, you malamutes! Get along. Get out in front where you belong…”” and the Alaskan War Dog and those who handle them deserve their proper respect where they belong.