It All Begins with a Puppy…or NINE!! (Part 1)
Introducing the Honor Litter!
I have to say, watching nine puppies growing up is a LOT more interesting than I ever imagined — every time I see them, they get smarter and smarter (and bigger and bigger). Right from the day they were born, every activity these puppies do is focused solely on being the best service dog they can be. It is amazing what they were able to do at just 5 weeks old, but more about that in the coming weeks.
Like I mentioned last week, all of these dogs are named for American heroes — decorated combat warriors who in most cases were either WIA or KIA. This is yet another way that these dogs are tied to the Wounded Warriors they will soon serve. Last time, I promised to introduce you to the nine puppies of the Honor Litter, so without further ado, here it is! I originally planned to introduce you to all nine puppies in the same blog post, but ultimately decided to only introduce three at a time because I think it is important properly pay tribute to the men and women who gave so much. Take a minute to read through this list, if for no other reason than to honor the animals’ namesakes – those who have so valiantly fought, and in most cases, died for the liberties we cherish.
Cody: Sweet, slow to act and very thoughtful – he really seems to pause and think before he acts while in training sessions. This is an excellent trait for a future service dog!
Named for: Army Private First Class Cody J. Orr, a 21-year old Soldier who was killed when his Bradley Fighting Vehicle struck an improvised explosive device and overturned near Taji, Iraq, about 20 miles north of Baghdad. He left behind a wife, Jackie, to whom he had only been married to for three short weeks before he deployed. As his yearlong deployment was coming to an end, Cody and Jackie looked forward to celebrating their one year anniversary and talked about buying a house and starting a family upon his return. All who knew him said he was a typical country boy. He loved his blue jeans, big belt buckles, cowboy boots and his John Deere ball cap. One of his former high school teachers said Cody “would frequently come back to my classroom even after being gone for years, to show off in his starched uniform and cap sitting ‘just so’ on his head. Never did he waiver from his long-time goal of serving his country in whatever capacity he was called to do.” He died January 17, 2004.
Army Private First Class Cody J. Orr
A very debonaire Cody, posing for the camera!
Luke: Luke is very cuddly little puppy, but he can be awfully rough too! Out of all of the puppies, he looks the most like his Dad.
Named for: 1st Sgt Luke J. Mercardante, USMC. On April 15, 2008 about 100 Marines left Kandahar airfield in a convoy of dozens of vehicles carrying supplies. His vehicle suffered a direct hit by an IED and 1st Sgt Mercardante was killed instantly. The blast gouged a hole 12 feet wide and 6 feet deep, stopping the convoy. “They knew we were coming,” said Staff Sgt. Robin Clements, the assistant convoy commander. “We were making pretty good headway. Out of nowhere — a huge explosion. We could see it from the rear of the convoy. Immediately, we knew it wasn’t your ordinary IED. … That explosion could have demolished a tank.” The bomb went off beneath Mercardante’s Humvee. He was originally assigned to sit in the lead Humvee but was moved farther back, where it was thought he’d be safer, Clements said. First Sgt. Luke Mercardante, the highest-ranking noncommissioned officer in his logistics battalion, was “the glue that held us together,” said Maj. Keith Owens. “He helped our small problems from becoming big problems.” He left behind a wife and 2 young children.
1st Sgt Luke J. Mercardante, USMC
Luke on the prowl!
Stanley: The biggest of all the puppies! Stanley was the last one to be born, and was a full pound heavier within the first week. This big boy was the first to walk. Stanley is also one of the first to bolt during the group photos!
Named for: Corporal Stanley Giza, USMC. Born in 1925, CPL Giza joined the Marines as soon as he turned 18 in his senior year of high school, November, 1943. Just a little over one year later, he was assigned to the Fourth Marine Division, the “Fighting Fourth.” On February 19, 1945, CPL Giza and the U.S. Marines stormed ashore on Iwo Jima. He was only 19 years old and part of the first landing wave. The bloody chaos of these landings was indescribable and lead to over a month of brutal ground fighting between three Marine divisions and more than 20,000 Japanese defenders. In the end, over six thousand Americans had been killed, along with about ninety percent of the Japanese. Iwo Jima was the most difficult battle that the Marines faced during WWII. He left the Marines in 1946, and went on to marry and have four daughters.
Unfortunately, I was not able to locate a photograph of Corporal Stanley Giza.
- Stanley, taking a break from roughhousing!
Is there any wonder I get goosebumps every time I photograph these puppies? The stories of the remaining six puppies will follow soon. If you know any family members of these brave men, please pass my contact information on to them, as I would love to learn more about their loved one and help to keep their memory alive.
I’d love to hear your thoughts and opinions! Stay tuned to meet the rest of the Honor Litter!
Until next time, have joy in your heart, a smile on your face, and a dog by your side!
Bonnie
UPDATE:
Special thanks to Corporal Stanley Giza’s daughter, Pam, for sharing this fantastic photo of her Dad when he first entered the Marines at the age of 18…Semper Fi!
Corporal Stanley Giza
Bonnie,
Just wonderful!
~Michelle
Thank you, Michelle! 🙂
More precious photos to memorialize these Warriors that sacrificed so much for our freedom. Thank you for bringing their stories to life with your tributes and beautiful photos <3
Streaky, thank you so much for all of your kind words and positive feedback!
Hi there Bonnie, what a great thing you’re doing, following this litter as they train to become service dogs. I will be Gavin’s puppy parent, I get him tomorrow as a matter of fact! If you hear anything from his family, I would love to get in touch with them to see if they are interested in following Gavin. Thanks!
Hi Joey! So very glad to hear from you! And what a great thing YOU are doing!! Seriously, I wish I could be a PP as well, but think it would be too difficult to be a good PP while still trying to tell the story of the Honor Litter. Hopefully I will at least be able to be Auntie Bonnie and do a little puppy sitting 🙂
Bonnie you are doing a wonderful job with the Honor Litter and introducing them to the world. The warriors stories are all so touching, and these puppies’ hearts are as epic as their cuteness. Can’t wait to follow your posts and photos, as well as the FaceBook pages of WCC, EPW, and each of the dogs’ own spaces. Brava!
Hi Bonnie,
I think it is a great idea to follow Olive’s Honor Litter, while they train to become service dogs. I think it will show the dedication of everyone involved in their training and all of their hard work to become service dogs. I look forward to following their stories. I think it was a wonderful idea to name them in honor of American Heros. Looking forward to the next three!
Lisa, I am so glad you are enjoying following Olive’s Honor Litter!
Lovely way to introduce these boys, the photos capture your heart and the stories make me proud of what these pups will ultimately accomplish! Thank you so much!
Gave me goosebumps. The warriors, all heros; the pups, all about to be. Just love them all.
Thank you, Mary! 🙂
Thank you for taking on this truly “labor of love”. I will be looking forward to your stories and all of the Honor Litters amazing journeys to helping our wounded warriors.
Thank you, Janet! I really appreciate your support!
Bonnie, thank you for the beautiful photos and for giving your time to tell the amazing stories of our heros.
Shelli, doing a project like this has been a dream of mine for a long time now and I feel so honored to be able to tell these stories.
Bonnie,
Thank you so much for such a lovely tribute to these young men who sacrificed too much. These puppies are so special and your tribute is a powerful way to keep the memories of these men alive through the extraordinary work these puppies are training to do!
Thank you, Pam! I’m glad, if only in a very small way, to be able to keep their memories alive. And to shine a light on just how important these puppies will be to the Wounded Warriors they eventually serve.
Already such a huge fan of this blog….the stories of the warrior heroes are precious! The photos are wonderful! Thank you so much for this history we will have to keep!
You are so sweet, Cindy! Thank you! I am so glad you are enjoying it!
Bonnie, you have tied these puppies so beautifully to their warrior namesakes. Thank you for a job well done. Looking forward to the next three.
Cindy
🙂 Cindy, thank you for your support and feedback! It is very much appreciated!
superb. I never tire of reading the Honor Litter’s namesakes. I hope the families are able to follow along, as these pups journey toward their wounded warrior for life.
I love this Bonnie, thank you
🙂 thank you!
Thank you Bobbie! I hope they are able to follow along as well!
Thank you so much for these stories of the fine young men who are allowing their names to be bestowed on the Honor Litter. Your stories together with the pictures bring home the sacrifice the men made and the wonderful service dogs (in training)who wear their names so proudly.
It is truly my pleasure, Judy!
this is just precious – needed a tissue warning – We all love this mission of WCC and all of our babies. what a tribute to our warriors too, God Bless them all
🙂 Their stories certainly do tug at the heartstrings, don’t they Laurie?! I’m so glad you are enjoying them.
It’s lovely to see the puppies and their namesake warriors next to each other. These puppies are destined for greatness, also. Thank you Heroes! And thank you, Bonnie!
I do believe you are correct!! These puppies have no idea, but they are going to change lives and give lives and freedoms back to some pretty amazing heroes!
Nice tribute to the Honor litter’s namesakes. I am looking forward to following the puppies thru your eyes. Thank you.
Thank you, Kathy! That means a lot!
Bonnie – I was watching as you were taking these pictures during the Pawty! Trying to wrangle these pups was a job (chore?) on its own. I look forward to following your blog as these sweet pups grow into their jobs. Thank you for the beautiful pictures.
Haha! They were having none of that, were they?! With dogs, I usually find that it is better to just let them do their thing and try to get great pictures of that 🙂 Although, I have to say, the outtakes are pretty darn funny! Thank you for your support!
Bonnie I just love your project! We love all the pups, but the connection of the Honor Litter with our National Heroes is very special. Thank you for for embarking on this mission to document their journey.
Karen, it truly is an honor for me. It has been a dream of mine for a long time, but being a Navy wife, the timing has never really worked out. And to have it work out with Olive’s litter and then to find out they were going to be called the Honor Litter…well, I think it was meant to be! 🙂
Hi Bonnie! This is absolutely amazing! I love this and I cannot wait to read more. Cody, and Luke actually have the eyes of the men they are named after. Look closely and you can see what I’m talking about. It’s like they are living through them. Absolutely amazing. I miss you guys and I hope to see you soon! 🙂
Casey
Thank you so much, Casey! I’m so glad you love it! Interesting observation about the eyes. The puppies do have the same soulful eyes, don’t they? Love and miss you too!!
Sniff, sniff …. so meaningful to connect the stories and pictures of these American Heroes with the future service dogs named in their honor. Nicely done! Look forward to your future introduction to the rest of the Honor Litter. Thank You Bonnie!
Thank you, Terrie! I’m glad you enjoyed it! But you are right, it does tug at the heartstrings. I have to take lots of breaks when I am reading the articles about these heroes.
Good Job Bonnie, I look forward to future blogs. I love the subject, you are able to share your love of dogs AND your photography…plus you are a darn good writer. keep up the good work.
Thank you so much, Joyce! I’m thrilled that you like it!! This project really does combine the best of everything for me 🙂
I love this. You did a great job honoring those men and introducing those sweet pups!
🙂 Thank you, Kristen! I’m so happy that you think so! I know you are enjoying getting your dose of puppy love right now, but you would go crazy for these sweet pups as well!
Thank you for showing pictures of these wonderful service dogs. I think it is a true honor to see these pictures. I lost my cousin, Lanny Bolding, in the Vietnam War, so this is very comforting to me. No one appreciate the soldiers when they came back from Vietnam. Thank you for sharing these stories and pictures.
Elaine, Thank you so much for taking the time to write, I appreciate it! My Father-in-law also served in Vietnam, and while he doesn’t speak of it very much, we know how badly so many of these vets were treated. It is heartbreaking and shameful. It is so important that we tell their stories and remember what they did for us. So I am really happy that you are enjoying these blog posts. Thank you!
I am so happy I discovered this organization, while watching puppies!! I was fortunate enough to meet the Honor Litter & be a PP after being an OPW! My heart is warm with all the people who put in the time, work & love making a difference in the lives of our heroes. Their stories are compelling and how lovely their name sake pups are! Your photography is truly amazing and I’m another one who is looking forward to following the Honor Litter. They are all so adorable & smart. What a great start to their special lives awaiting them. Thank you Bonnie!