Hero Sentry Dog: Nemo A534

Nemo, a German shepherd procured by the U.S. Air Force in 1964 and identified as A534, trained at Lackland Air Force Base, served with handlers Leonard Bryant and later Robert Throneburg, and deployed to Tan Son Nhut Air Base in South Vietnam in 1966. During a major Viet Cong attack on December 4, 1966, in which several air policemen and sentry dogs were killed and many lives were saved by the dog teams' detection of the attackers, Nemo and Throneburg were posted that evening on Kilo-5 after enemy forces had hidden through the day. When Nemo alerted, Throneburg released him, and Nemo attacked two Viet Cong before being shot through the muzzle and losing his right eye; Throneburg was also shot. Even while grievously wounded, Nemo continued to protect Throneburg until other security police arrived, and he was credited with saving his handler's life and helping prevent further loss of life and property. Returned to the United States in 1967 and retired from active service, Nemo recovered at Lackland, later traveled widely with Robert M. Sullivan to help recruit military working dogs, and died in December 1972 after declining health. His story became a lasting symbol of the service and sacrifice of military working dogs in the Vietnam War, and veterans later created and relocated a memorial in his honor at Lackland.

Lackland AFB, Texas · United States