Dogs have long been a part of military life as mascots and integral parts of military units. From World War I to Vietnam and Iraq, the U.S. military has used dogs as messengers, sentries and scouts. These duties continue today, with emphasis on sentry/guard duty and explosives detection. Often, some of the strongest bonds formed in war zones are those of soldiers with their unit mascots. This bond has lead retired Navy reservist and Annapolis resident Mark Feffer to work with Operation Baghdad Pups, to bring unit mascots home from war zones of Iraq and Afghanistan. His sister, Christine Sullivan, has written a book, "44 Days out of Kandahar," on her and Feffer's rescue of his missing unit mascot, Cinnamon. This dog has made national headlines in recent weeks. The book is self-published, at $24.95 with some of the proceeds going to Operation Baghdad Pups, to help servicemen and women bring adopted dogs back with them from the war zones. Here's their web site: www.44-days.com

Don Jestes was a scout dog handler in Vietnam. He lives in Howard County. He and others veterans of the 47th Infantry Platoon, Scout Dog, are mentioned in a softcover book by Toni Gardner, a writer and animal advocate who lives in Baltimore. She used to write a pets column for Country Living magazine. The book is entitled, "Walking Where the Dog Walks: An Interspecies Odyssey in Vietnam, 1968-69" and it's available through Gardiner's web site: www.tonigardner.com