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Trying To Get Furry Friends Out Of Iraq

Feb-18-2004 » Filed Under: Iraq News

I thought this was an interesting article given that the brigade seems to have adopted at least one mascot of its own.

[Link to Full Article]

Sunday Gazette-Mail
February 17, 2004

ST. LOUIS - Yo-ge has made it out of war torn Iraq. So have Cookie, Ratchet and Private.

But to the dismay of Missouri National Guard Pfc. Jeremiah Smith of Fulton, Mo., and scores of other soldiers and Marines, Niki and dozens of others like her have not. And as the clock ticks down, the chances of their survival diminish.

This is the story of man's - and woman's - best friend and the bond between them, a bond that has created an international effort to save the hundreds of stray dogs that roam Iraqi cities and countryside. That bond also is causing friction within the military as soldiers extend their stay in Iraq and befriend more dogs.

Special Forces Sgt. Maj. William Gillette discovered Yo-ge (pronounced Yo-Gee) when he and his unit took over a border checkpoint between Iraq and Jordan. The full-blooded German shepherd was being held by one Iraqi and beaten by two others. Gillette, 34, of Clarksville, Tenn., "persuaded" the men to let the dog go, and he and Yo-ge have been together ever since. Gillette even speaks to Yo- ge in Arabic.


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