Byung Kang is a 31-year veteran of the United States Marine Corps. This man served in Afghanistan, there he met Blue, a black Labrador trained to detect improvised explosive devices, the two participated in more than 300 combat missions during the period 2011-2012. Kang never forgot her and when he returned home, he decided to adopt the dog that saved his life.
The former marine attributes being home now thanks to Blue, and for the last 6 years he focused on contacting different military branches and non-profit organizations to have his old partner by his side.
Blue was excellent at his job, on his first mission he managed to sniff out an explosive device, saving the lives of the platoon members.
Navy veteran adopts the dog that saved his life
Kang told Today :
“From there, Blue began to gain the trust and respect of my platoon.”
Kang was so grateful to Blue for keeping him safe on every deployment they made that one night in Afghanistan he made a promise to his partner.
Kang recounted:
“I told him, ‘What you have done for me and my boys here in Afghanistan, we cannot give back. So I’m going to give you a good home where you can snuggle up all day, without worrying about going to war and finding bombs. ‘
When Kang finished his time in Afghanistan, Blue was reassigned and contact between the two was lost, but the veteran never forgot his promise and told Wendy that at that time she was his fiancée. Among her plans was to adopt Blue as soon as she retired from the service.
Wendy is also a veteran of the Marines. She used her connections to find Blue and facilitate her adoption when she finally retired, and in late 2018 they welcomed her home.
Wendy said:
“I did everything in my power to make sure we could bring Blue home, after all the stories I heard, I know for a fact that Blue is one of the reasons why BK is here with me and alive.”
Kang is now a K-9 officer with the Duluth Police Department. Blue also serves in the Police department at his side.
Blue is now 11 years old and lives in Georgia with Kang and Wendy, two children, five dogs and two cats. Earlier this year Blue was diagnosed with cancer, but fortunately the mass in her mouth turned out to be benign; now she has a quiet life and loves to give hugs.
That experience led Kang to enter Blue in the 2020 American Humane Hero Dog Awards , where he is a semi-finalist in the military dog category.
American Humane President and CEO Dr. Robin Ganzert invites everyone to read the remarkable stories of these incredible heroes on his official page.
Through an email to Today he expressed:
“Military dogs work side by side with our warriors, facing the same trials and dangers to keep our nation safe.”
The navy veteran is grateful for Blue and all military dogs, highlighting their courage and service.
He said:
“These working dogs will give their lives for us, therefore, we must be grateful to them and respect them and, above all, trust them because dogs will not lie.”
If you want to vote for Blue you can do it here
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