In Remembrance of "ABSENT FRIENDS"
We first met in a war zone far from home We were young and feeling alone Our future yet unknown
Constant companions were we Dependent on one another you see So different was he from me Yet so close we came to be
Sent to war against his will He was trained to kill We spent months together in the jungles, valleys and hills A truer friend to find I never will
Even at the end of a long day He still found time to play To complain wasn't his way With his life he was ready to pay
He performed his job in stoic silence Yet between us would pass an affectionate glance He would rest whenever there was a chance But he seldom relaxed his vigilance
He saved my life and the lives of many more None could ever even the score Often he fell asleep on the floor While patiently waiting near our door
I fondly remember him and always will Those memories are full of detail With great joy and pleasure my life he did fill My best freind's name was Phil
At his job he was better than most On him you could always depend when danger grew close About him I would frequently boast He was much smarter than many supposed
He never received the praise and honor he deserved His country he did faithfully serve In battle he never lost his nerve His skill and dedication he did not reserve
No glory or honor was by him sought As he bravely and gallantly fought His days with danger were fraught His duty he never forgot
I owe my life to my best friend Phil His memory lives in my heart still And I know it forever will This friend of whom I write was my scout dog named Phil
written by: Donald E. Bowman Sr., 35th IPSD Don has since passed away
Of the 8,000 men who served with K-9 units during the Vietnam War, 231 were Killed in Action. Of the 4,000 Dogs that served, 281 were "Offically" listed as "Killed in Action", Only 190 returned home at the end of the war.
In Remembrance of "ABSENT FRIENDS"