Customer Reviews

None Came Home: The War Dogs of Vietnam

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4 star:		(2)
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This is the best book about the dogs and dog handlers I have read. Other books I've read seem to be stories that could have been written by anyone who'd heard about the situation. In "None Came Home" it was clear that this author was involved and he gave a human/dog perspective. Many of the other books told of battles more than the "dog" story. I will read this book again and again. (and cry each time.)

Mr. O'Donnell is a verified USAF Vietnam Combat Veteran/K-9 Sentry Dog Handler who served in U-Tapao, Thailand during his active duty service. SGT O'Donnell's novel represents a dream of what could have been done to restore order from the powerless trauma of what had to be done regarding the U.S. Government's requirement to abandon K-9s at the end of the Vietnam War. It is a poignant piece criss-crossed with hope and hopelessness and potentially represents the way many US K-9 and MWD Teams felt at that time in history. The perceived anguish, search for understanding as well as a means to salute those K-9 counterparts is an excellent read and worth consideration by all individuals familiar with those events in our Nation's history or who experienced similar feelings first-hand of the loss of the K-9s who were and continue to be among our most outstanding yet most unsung heroes throughout all branches of the Armed Forces in all aspects and in all countries involved within the Vietnam War Combat Zone.

This book was as well written and amazing as it was sad. I dont understand why this story was not created into a feature movie. Not only would it be a blockbuster it would let the world know how these amazing animals that saved countless lives were left behind as "government property".

my only complaint is the grammar.
this book reminded me a lot of "Chickenhawk" however "None Came Home" was possibly not proof read.

read this book and you will know exactly what the service dogs and their handlers went through in Vietnam.

the ending may be fictional but that was only a few pages. the rest is authentic.

This is a memoir about a 17year old kid in the K-9 Corps who went to Vietnam with the dog he had trained and the exploits of the dog in actual combat. People who like nostalgia will like the author's talking about what a friend the dog was, and how he talked to the dog, confiding in him as if the dog were a person. I didn't know there were thousands of dogs in the K-9 Corps in Vietnam, nor did I know the US Government's shameful abandoning of those dogs when we pulled out of Vietnam. The Government wouldn't evacuate these loyal, fearless dogs who saved so many lives of servicemen.

I wonder if there are K-9 units in Iraq and Afghanistan, and, if there are, we should contact our Congressmen and tell them that when their tours of duty are over, the dogs belong back in the US, not left to starve to death in the enemy's land.

Dogs are the only mammals who do not flee in the face of danger if their masters are in peril. Dogs willingly stand and will even attack superior forces in order to protect the people they love. Few humans would do for others what dogs will do for their humans.

BTW, the title isn't totally accurate. A few K-9 Handlers managed to smuggle their dogs home. The others were left to die slowly from starvation or to be tortured and killed by the Vietnamese. (The Vietnamese eat dogs and truss them with their legs ripped out of their sockets so they can be tied on their backs,leaving them that way alive and suffering horribly until they're ready to be butchered. And this is in peacetime in open markets. How do I know? I've seen pictures from organizations who battle cruelty to animals.)

Unsung heroes. The dogs that are the soldier's best friends in battle. These faithful dogs are severely underappreciated for the sacrifices they give us to help keep all of us safe. Yet also there is the humane element too. The normalcy and 'humanity' the K9 officer gives to our troops in the down times. This is definitely something that cannot be paid back.

Or can it?
Freedom is not free.

I have met the author, Sgt. John E. O'Donnell and his faithful best girl Charlie. She's a typical sweet sable brat German Shepherd Dog that accompanies him everywhere. Sgt. O' Donnell is bright and witty and charming. His stories are great to listen to if you have the time and regret not having enough time to just sit and listen when I could.

The book relays his story of part of his life during the Vietnam era and gives a personal autobiographical snapshot in this day of a new dog and handler team. They look great on the cover and yes, that is really them, but you know they were scared to death on the inside like all of the other soldiers were.

In battle, all hearts beat as one and everyone becomes everyone elses' brother. We can pay back our K9 heroes by showing honor to them. After all, you see them everyday in service dog work guiding visually impaired people and others with lots of other disabilities. Helping our police force, and doing therapy work. It's a dog's work and they do it selflessly.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a very sad story, the dogs from Viet Nam should have a memorial!!

I was disappointed. The book read more like a fiction novel and some of the content was hard to find plausible.

I didn't care for the writing style, or the significant issues with grammar throughout the book. It felt very much as if the book had not been proof read at all.

I did like the content of the stories and the experiences. I just didn't feel a connection with the author, or the way he went about telling this very important story.

The story of Military Working Dogs is truly one that needs to be told. And the betrayal by our own government, as outlined in this book, is something that everyone should be aware of. Thankfully, our MWD's are treated vastly different today. The do come home, and so long as they are physically and mentally capable, they will be retired and adopted at the end of their military service. Working with MWD's has been the proudest experience of my life.