USMC “Devil Dogs”

Dogs have played an important role int the USMC since the days of World War I, when, as lore has it, the Germans referred to the a group of Marines as Teufelhunden or "Devil Dogs". The Marines embraced the nickname and the bulldog became the symbol of the Marine Corps, and has remained the most popular military mascot to date.

Molly Marine, a bulldog and the official mascot of  Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego was promoted to the rank of corporal in November of 2007. She is even trained to salute.

But dogs have been more than just mascots to the USMC. Dogs have been used by the Marine Corps for search and rescue, search and recovery, and bomb-sniffing. There are approximately 260 dogs currently serving in the Marines.

In February 2008, a German Shepherd named Lex was awarded a commemorative Purple Heart for his service as a bomb-sniffing dog in Iraq. Lex was injured on assignment but his Marine Cpl. Dustin Lee was killed. Lex is now retired and living with Lee's family in Mississippi.

Molly and Lex are just 2 examples of ways in which dogs serve in the Marines Corps. If you would like to learn more about the USMC, the National Museum of the Marine Corps, located in Quantico, VA is a great resource.

For more info on the museum, visit their website at www.usmcmuseum.com Molly Marine, picture from www.marinecorpstimes.com