The thrilling and inspiring story of a US Marine and his dog Rex, a
bomb sniffing German Shepard, who forged a bond of trust and loyalty
while serving on the war-torn streets of Iraq's most dangerous city.
*In Iraq we put our lives in each other's hands (and paws) day after
day. We took care of each other no matter what. Rex and I have a bond
that will last for the rest of our born days. If ever there was a marine
who lived up to Semper Fidelis, the motto of the Marine Corps, it's
Rex.*Deployed to Iraq's infamous Triangle of Death in 2004, Sergeant
Mike
Dowling and his military working dog Rex were part of the first Marine
Corps military K9 teams sent to the front lines of combat since Vietnam.
It was Rex's job to sniff out weapons caches, suicide bombers, and IEDs,
the devastating explosives that wreaked havoc on troops and civilians
alike. It was Mike's job to lead Rex into the heart of danger time and
time again, always trusting Rex to bring them both back alive.
Dowling had turned twenty-five and Rex three just after they arrived in
Iraq. Neither of them had any idea what to expect, and no training could
fully prepare them for this job. An animal lover since childhood,
Dowling had fostered and trained dogs for Guide Dogs for the Blind, and
he was determined to serve in the military's K9 unit after joining the
Marines. On their first patrols in Iraq, Rex suffered a seemingly
incurable fear of explosions and gunfire, but with Mike at the other end
of his leash, Rex gained the courage to perform his duty.
Filled with harrowing tales of knife-edge bomb-detection work, including
an extraordinary baptism by fire, Sergeant Rex is a heart-pounding
account of how an unbreakable human-canine bond helped Mike and Rex to
stay focused on their mission and save countless lives. Dowling takes us
into the searing 130-degree heat, the choking dust, and the ever-present
threat of violent attack that seemed to permeate Iraq's streets. We
experience Dowling's visceral fear of walking down an IED-laden alley
where dismemberment or death can come with any footstep, only his
trusted partner, Rex, by his side.
Loyalty is one of the hallmarks of any good Marine, and nowhere is that
quality more evident than in this astonishing account of Mike Dowling
and Rex's wartime experiences. A moving story of how a man and a dog
developed complete trust in each other in the face of terrible
adversity, Sergeant Rex is an unforgettable tale of sacrifice,
courage, and love.
