War Dogs: America's Forgotten Heroes

"War Dogs - America's Forgotten Heros" tells the powerful story of the 4,000 dogs that served in Vietnam and saved countless lives. The stories of the German Shepherd dogs that served as Scout Dogs, Sentry Dogs, Tracker Dogs and Water Dogs are very accurately shown in this film.

This documentary skillfully combines original film footage with interviews and reenactments to provide the viewer with a film that is certain be remembered.

As a member of the Vietnam Dog Handlers Association and a Sentry Dog Handler at Tan Son Nhut AB, RVN from 3/66 to 3/67, I highly recommend viewing this film about America's forgotten heros.

I have seen this documentary twice and will see it countless times for the rest of my life. I have never seen a documentary that actually made me feel and cry for the people, and dogs so much. I am outraged that governments as well as people can forget these soldiers and loyal friends. This programme made me think about friendship and loyalty, and I ask anyone who wants to check their moral compass or just check what friendship really means, see this. Because I'll tell you, I don't think I have friends like these dogs and those handlers did, and to finish I think these dogs can show humans a thing or two about being human.

At first I was perplexed at only 3 reviews here, but it took me over 10 minutes to locate this film here. Searching "War Dogs" brought up dozens of films but not this one despite being an exact title match. I had to search the Director, William Bison. Most people probably give up by then (it's searchable as America's Forgotten Heroes).

For me, this just adds insult to injury when considering the important yet buried content of the film.

This is at once a gut wrenching yet heart warming film. The details many civilians have never heard yet that service members can never forget; a poignant reminder that no matter how many clinical tests try to claim animals have no emotion, films like this prove that science and reality are often two different things.

Those who know the incredible training of dogs today for military and law enforcement will look on this film as an intro to when that all began.

It's a difficult watch so don't start if you can't freely cry.

This really is an incredibly moving documentary. Strange how you find these things, just flicking through the channels one boring Saturday morning last week and I came across it. At first I thought 'oh just another Vietnam war docu.' but it gradually gripped my attention, helped by the powerful voice of Martin Sheen. Incredible interviews with the dog handlers/soldiers speaking so articulately about their war experiences and these wonderful animals who saved their and their buddies lives. I tell you, mid way through I was in tears myself, it was very touching seeing grown men and former soldiers speaking so emotionally about these animals who became like brothers. Even though I'm not American and was born after the Vietnam war, I began feeling a great sense of pride in these guys as if they had been my own uncles or my dad. And equally I felt for the sufferings and bravery of the German Shepherds and Labradors on the battlefields. This is a story of brave human beings and their equally courageous dogs, thousands of whom would die in loyal service.

The way they were abandoned at the end of the war by the Army was despicable and made me ill almost. I began to think, in anger at the Army's stance afterwards, that maybe it was just a stunt to get people to open their cheque books or whatever but quickly I realised that the experiences and deep felt tragedies felt by the dog handlers was GENUINE as tears were flowing from these mens eyes. I then began looking for as much info as I could on the web and in books and I'm just beginning to learn more. I was disappointed AND thrilled to see that by the time I saw it, in May 2002, two memorials had been built. Disappointed because I couldn't contribute to them but also thrilled that the memory of the men and their war dogs had finally been honoured. And now I myself will contribute to the up keep of those war memorials. I urge people to buy the video of this story, and I also pay tribute to the people who financed this production and made it all possible.