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[Audio] March 13 is National K9 Veterans Day

U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Stacy L. Pearsall, Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain

National K9 Veterans Day is March 13, a day of remembrance for the dogs who serve the United States in times of war and everyday military life. On Sounds Good, Tracy Ross speaks with McCracken County Chief Deputy Mike Turnbow and Madeline Schmidt of the Veterans Student Organization at Murray State University about the day for remembrance.

The U.S. military started using dogs periodically, during WWI, WWII and the Korean War, but the Vietnam War was when their use really picked up, Turnbow says. They were looked at as excess equipment, thus few dogs were brought home from the war, creating a "storm of controversy," he says, adding many of their handlers petitioned for this to never happen again.

More recently, dog handlers and combat trackers have been instrumental in starting a program where military dogs can be retired to former handlers or people who wanted the dogs, not disposed of as excess equipment. To memorialize their use in times of war and in everyday military life, a day of remembrance was made.

Often, combat dogs will sniff out IEDs and render them to make them save. Sometimes they trip the device, sacrificing their lives. Turnbow says it's important to think about what the dogs do and how they're used in the military.

He says his K9 got a celebratory cheeseburger, his favorite treat.

McCracken County Sheriff's Department on Facebook

National K9 Veterans Day Facebook Page

Tracy started working for WKMS in 1994 while attending Murray State University. After receiving his Bachelors and Masters degrees from MSU he was hired as Operations/Web/Sports Director in 2000. Tracy hosted All Things Considered from 2004-2012 and has served as host/producer of several music shows including Cafe Jazz, and Jazz Horizons. In 2001, Tracy revived Beyond The Edge, a legacy alternative music program that had been on hiatus for several years. Tracy was named Program Director in 2011 and created the midday music and conversation program Sounds Good in 2012 which he hosts Monday-Thursday. Tracy lives in Murray with his wife, son and daughter.
Matt Markgraf joined the WKMS team as a student in January 2007. He's served in a variety of roles over the years: as News Director March 2016-September 2019 and previously as the New Media & Promotions Coordinator beginning in 2011. Prior to that, he was a graduate and undergraduate assistant. He is currently the host of the international music show Imported on Sunday nights at 10 p.m.
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