Private Putsey :
Four-legged hero of WWII had local roots by Crystal Han
Heroes come from many walks of life , in all shapes and sizes . For Roger Knopf , president of the Morgan Hill Historical Society , one hero near and dear to his heart came in the form of his childhood dog , who served in the U . S . Army during WWII .
When you think of military drafts , you ’ re probably not imagining your pets being sent off to war , but that ’ s exactly what happened to the Knopf family . A little over a year after the U . S . entered into WWII , Knopf ’ s parents received a letter stating that their German Shepherd , Putsey , had been drafted . “ The first question was , ‘ How ’ d he get registered for the draft ?’” Knopf recalled . It turned out that , in addition to taking over manufacturing facilities to produce vehicles , aircrafts , and ships to help with the war effort , the U . S . government also contacted the national German Shepherd registry and had them send out notices to owners who had male German Shepherds between the ages of 14 to 36 months . These dogs were trained to serve on the front lines , carrying messages , detecting explosives , or defending their human companions .
Knopf was only two years old when Putsey was drafted , so he doesn ’ t remember much about how his parents reacted to the news . He suspects that although there might have been a little bit of resistance to it , ultimately they were proud to have a pet who could make a contribution . “ I think that by that time we , as a nation , had become resigned to the fact that we were
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