On March 13, 1942, the Quartermaster Corps of the United
States Army began training dogs for the newly established
War Dog Program, or “K-9 Corps.”

Well over a million dogs served on both sides during World
War I, carrying messages along the complex network of
trenches and providing some measure of psychological
comfort to the soldiers.

As the first bona fide animal movie star, Rin Tin Tin made
the little-known German Shepherd breed famous across 
the country.

On December 20, 1957, while spending the Christmas holidays
at Graceland, his newly purchased Tennessee mansion, rock-
and-roll star Elvis Presley received his draft notice for the
United States Army (above).

A battalion of the U.S. 9th Infantry Division left Saigon in the
initial withdrawal of U.S. troops. The 814 soldiers were the
first of 25,000 troops that were withdrawn in the first stage
of the U.S. disengagement from the Vietnam War.

There would be 14 more increments in the withdrawal, but
the last U.S. troops did not leave until after the Paris Peace
Accords were signed in January 1973.

On June 14, 1775, the Continental Congress authorized
the enlistment of expert riflemen to serve the United
Colonies for one year.

This launched the U.S. Army as America’s first national institution, more than a year before the Declaration of Independence was published on July 4, 1776.

Faith (December 22, 2002 – September 22, 2014) was a bipedal
dog, born with three legs; two fully developed hind legs and a
deformed front leg, which was amputated when she was seven
months old.

Many people, including veterinarians, advised that Faith be
euthanized. Instead, using a spoon with peanut butter as an
incentive, Jude taught Faith to hop. Faith began to walk on
her own.                        

Faith was given a non-commission rank of E5 Sgt. at Ft. Lewis, Washington in June 2006. She visited more than 2,300 wounded
warriors in hospitals and wards throughout the world, and was
seen by more than 2,000,000 active soldiers at bases, airports,
and ceremonies.

She wore an Army Combat Uniform jacket and would get excited
when it was pulled out of the closet, as she knew it meant she
was about to meet some soldiers.  
(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)