Laddie

Date

• August 4, 1945

Publisher

Manitowoc, Wisconsin: Manitowoc Herald-Times

Summary

• In this letter to the editor of the Manitowoc Herald-Times, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Krish of Manitowoc, Wisconsin describe the wartime service of their dog, Laddie, and express disappointment that the newspaper had not printed a similar report that they had submitted previously. Included in the column is a picture of Laddie and a copy of a letter from a Marine Corps officer informing the Krishs that Laddie had been promoted to the rank of private first class and was serving as a Marine war dog in the Pacific theater. During World War II a number of Manitowoc families donated their pet dogs to "Dogs for Defense," a national program started in January 1942 to procure dogs to be trained for sentry work, scout duty, and other tasks for the Army, Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard. Kurth Mueller chaired the "Dogs for Defense" program in Manitowoc County. This letter was published in the "Open Forum" column of the Manitowoc Herald-Times on August 4, 1945.