Larry Chilcoat

Larry Chilcoat

My father was an Aircraft Dispatcher in U.S. Army Air Corps during World War Two. He manned the control tower at Hickam Field on the island of Oahu, Hawaii when swarms of Japanese aircraft attacked nearby Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Thank God my father survived, but it’s - A date which will live in Infamy - President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

My father-in-law was a career U.S. Air Force Medic and a Prisoner of War (POW) in Korea during the Korean War (1950-1953).
I proudly joined the U.S. Air Force in 1967 (runs in the family) and became a Sentry Dog handler. I arrived at Cam Ranh Bay Air Force Base, South Vietnam in March 1969. I was assigned Geisha (A871), a loving and beautiful German Shepherd Sentry Dog. I wore holes in my socks and my combat boots walking countless miles on many security posts connected to the other end of the leash behind Geisha - night and day! I miss her immensely.

The war dog has an incredible history that dates to the heroics of Sergeant Stubby (unofficial first American War Dog) in World War One, “The Great War” “The Doughboy” “The War to End All Wars” - 1914 to 1918.

Those of us who have been fortunate enough to be a military working dog handler know that the bond with their dog is not temporary, it’s lifelong!
When people ask me what Geisha meant to me in Vietnam, I show them a picture of her. The same picture I’ve been carrying in my wallet for the past thirty-eight years. Every time I show that picture, my emotions well up my eyes, which expresses more than words about how I feel about that dog.

I am inspired by the incredible stories of courage and dedication of today's military working dog teams who continue to save lives in Iraq and Afghanistan.
My passion, devotion, time, and energy run deep to help raise the funds to build this national monument. This level of recognition is immeasurable for the contribution that our nation’s war dogs and their handlers, past, present, and future have and will continue to sacrifice for our great country.

 

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