By Chris Willingham
President, US War Dogs Association
Chris Willingham served 20 years in the US Marine Corps as a K-9 dog handler, trainer, kennel master and program manager. Since retiring in 2019, Chris now trains dogs for the Government and serves as president of US War Dogs Association – a non-profit that supports military working dogs through their service and in retirement. We asked Chris to share his thoughts about K-9 Veterans Day and why these dogs are so vital to our troops – on and off the battlefield.
As a Marine Corps dog handler, I am in the privileged position to know just how incredible dogs are. As a handler, your training is geared around maximizing your dog’s capabilities and the remarkable skills that these dogs possess have made them an invaluable asset to our nation’s military, since the inception of the K-9 Corps on 13 March, 1942.
We remember this pivotal date that military working dogs (MWDs) assumed a vital role in combat, following petitions from a civilian organization called Dogs For Defense (DFD), who recruited and trained pet dogs ready for potential deployment. Over 40,000 dogs were donated to the war effort following the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1942, with 10,000 making the grade to join the K-9 Corps to serve their nation as sentry and messenger dogs.
Since WWII, dogs have been utilized in a range of roles, including scout dogs and mine detection dogs across major conflicts–from the frozen tundra of Korea to the jungles of Vietnam to the vast deserts of Iraq and the unforgiving mountainous regions of Afghanistan.
It was in those latter conflicts where I had the honor of serving with US Marine Corps specialized search dog (SSD), Lucca. A German Shepherd/ Malinois mix, Lucca was part of a program to train dogs to meet the threats that coalition troops were facing in the heat of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom–improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
Lucca and other SSDs like her were trained to search off-leash, at distances of over 500m, to find hidden explosives in roadways, open areas and vehicles. Lucca wore a radio harness so that I – and her second handler, Juan Rodriguez – could communicate with her and give her commands at a distance. Her poise, skill and abilities were incredible. During two tours in Iraq and one tour in Afghanistan, she conducted over 400 patrols. Nobody was ever injured while Lucca walked point.
She saved my life on more than one occasion, and I firmly believe that she is the reason I made it home to my family. Lucca was also there for me during some of the darkest personal moments I endured. She seemed to know when I needed her. That caring, intuitive nature, coupled with her incredible skill and devotion made her the best friend I ever had.
As Lucca retired from the military to live with me, I vowed to keep her spoiled in her well-deserved retirement, swapping combat patrols for family walks and adapting to civilian life, where her pace was slower. Having Lucca as a part of our family had a profoundly positive impact not just on me, but on my wife Jill and our two children, who were two and four at the time she joined us. Lucca forged her own special bonds with each of us: snuggling up for bedtime stories and eyeing up our family dinners. Her personality—and those expressive, human-like eyebrows—stole their hearts too. Lucca also became a kind of surrogate connection to me when I was away from home—particularly on my fifth deployment to the Middle East in 2016.
As any combat veteran will tell you, the ghosts of war stay with you long after you return home. Just as she had done while we were deployed, Lucca sensed my mood and knew when I needed some extra love. Her care and compassion helped me through some of my darkest times. When I reflect on everything she achieved in her life, I feel grateful to have been a part of her story.
Being a dog handler was an absolute privilege and my partnership with Lucca showed me the transformative power that dogs have – not just in practice on the battlefield saving lives – but also at home, in those quiet moments where the dark memories steal your peace of mind. Since retiring from the Marine Corps, it’s been important for me to stay connected to the K-9 community and when the opportunity came up for me to assume the role of president of US War Dogs Association, I grabbed on with both hands.
Supporting K-9s, their handlers and families throughout their lives – but particularly in retirement – is our reason for being. My team of volunteers and I work hard to make sure we can support as many MWDs as possible, with care packages while they’re on active duty and with veterinary care and medications during their retirement. Retired MWDs receive no VA or financial assistance, so we are often the last line of defense when families are faced with expensive medical costs to take care of these dogs who gave their best years in service to our nation.
Often, when I hear feedback from the families of the dogs we support, I think of Lucca. My family and I would have done anything to keep her healthy and happy during her retirement – paying the care and love she showed me right back to her. We owe our K-9 heroes a debt of gratitude that can’t be paid, but through US War Dogs Association, we will try our hardest to show them the respect and care they deserve.
K-9 leads the way.
