Dogs are an integral part of our lives.

Their importance and companionship are undisputed. While their existence didn’t begin that way, eventually “man’s best friend” was termed into our lexicon, and for great reason. Across time they’ve come to serve many roles. From pets to best friends, to sporting companions to service animals, dogs have come to be at our side through anything and everything. Their ability to serve, to provide company, and even to heal is uncanny. Because of this, we adore them. And their love back to us is unconditional.

Among their many roles, military dogs are a different and special kind of hero.

Every single service member plays an important role in protecting our freedom, and this includes our canine friends.

Military dogs have long been enlisted to serve alongside their human handlers. Their amazing sense of direction and smell make them adept at detecting weapons and bombs. And we continue to commemorate their service to us.

Which is just what Ian Brown did recently in a Facebook post.

His town of Wellingborough, in Northhamptonshire England, has a unique Facebook group entitled ‘Wellingborough Now and Then’. The market town invites members to post and exchange stories, as well as arrange meetups. With 18k members, it’s safe to say that many people are involved in documenting their own trips down memory lane.

Brown posted an old photo of his uncle’s World War II dog, Gunner with a backstory. And the response was overwhelming.

“This dog’s name was gunner my uncle brought him back from WW2 he was raised and slept under my uncles anti- aircraft gun. The gun crew shared their rations to feed him. By the time he was 18 months old my uncle said he would stand up and look at the sky. If he layed back down they new all was ok. If he growled and put his hackles up they got at the ready. He new the sound of the German aircraft and my uncle said he never got it wrong.“

The post immediately received heartfelt attention. Since being posted just days ago, it has over 27k likes, 200 comments, and over 150k shares.

Brown continued the story:

“He said gunner was better than any early warning system. I’m probably the only one left in the family that knows that story now so I thought I’d tell it before it’s lost forever like many story’s must be from that time. Thanks for reading it.“

Sometimes the biggest heros are the ones that can’t speak for themselves. Brown’s memory serves as a wonderful reminder that it’s important to share and remember our stories before they disappear.

To this day, dogs remain an incredibly valuable part of the military, serving essential roles. Marjorie Tharp, American Humane’s National Director of Communications, explains some of the traits that make dogs indispensible:

“Military working dogs are the best defense the military has for detecting Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) thanks to their keen sense of smell, which can detect the smallest whiffs – just two parts per billion – of an explosive in the air. How? Dogs have more than 40 times the receptors in their nasal cavities than humans do.”

And the same goes for their sense of hearing as well. It’s easy to see why Gunner was so prized. Since Brown’s post, people from far and wide, even from other continents, have flocked in to appreciate Gunner’s grace and service.

Be sure to check out this heartwarming memory in the post below!

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

Sources: Facebook/Ian Brown, Small Pet Select