Dogs of War in Vietnam Australian Canines in Combat -- Vietnam 1962-1972 Cassius ,Tiber ,Justin ,Marcus ,Janus Julian ,Caesar ,Milo ,Traja ,Juno ,Marcia The dogs were the core of Combat Tracker Teams that were used from 1967 until the last combat troops left in late 1971. Trained from the age of about 10 months at the Tracking Wing of the Ingleburn Infantry Centre, NSW, two dogs were assigned to each of the Australian battalions based at the Task Force base at Nui Dat, in Phuoc Tuy Province. Full-time use of the dogs in Vietnam from late 1967 followed their successful use in Malaya in the 1950s, and a trial in Vietnam during most of 1967. Housed in kennels at Nui Dat,the dogs’ lives followed an established routine. They were groomed and checked every day, and taken outside the base perimeter for training runs on tracks set through the bush. South Vietnamese soldiers were usually used to set scent trails, so the dogs could get used to following their distinctive smell. Title:Trackers Author:Peter Haran Publisher:New Holland - 2000 Link:Website Comments:Trackers is a gritty and moving story that reveals the Australian Army’s little known use of combat tracker dogs during the Vietnam War. A war veteran tells his story with vivid and compelling immediacy,blending the terror of hunting and encountering the elusive Viet Cong with the tender relationship between a naive young Australian soldier and his larrikin labrador-kelpie cross, Caesar.. Read a top book about these dogs and their handlers. Back to Information Page Please check HERE for items wanted for Collection Please use this EMAIL for any contact.