New Video Thanks Readers Who Wrote to Mil-Dogs

Last summer, a brief Midwest Living magazine article regarding 12 deployed Tactical Explosives Detection Dogs ("TEDD") and their handlers got tails wagging, pens flowing, and people talking.

In the current January/February 2013 issue, Editor-in-Chief Greg Philby reports how hundreds of his magazine's readers (and many of their dogs) expressed sentiments of patriotism, thanks, and support for the 2,800 Ohio and Michigan National Guard soldiers of the 37th Infantry "Buckeye" Brigade Combat Team (B.C.T.). The unit was then-deployed to Afghanistan and elsewhere.

"We received more than 400 letters from schoolchildren, veterans, families all across the Midwest and even from family pets," he says in the narration of a companion video, which the magazine produced as a thank-you to those who participated. "All of them share the appreciation of those who serve, the special bond between us and our pets, and the sense of pulling together that truly shows the heart of the Heartland."

Both Philby's January-February "letter from the editor" and the video quote readers' words directly. Here are some examples:

"Dear warriors: As a Vietnam vet, I am familiar with the capabilities and even comforting presence of working dogs," wrote James, from Leawood, Kan. "I just wish the dogs and their humans all the best to be safe and to save lives." 

"As the owner of a therapy dog, I totally understand how dogs can do things people cannot," wrote Nancy and her therapy dog Quincy, from Eagle River, Wis. "I'm certain the bond you've forged with your canine is much more than just a working relationship. I pray you return safely."

The 37th BCT has since returned from deployment, and the magazine has arranged for the Ohio National Guard historian to archive the letters.