Men and women who perform valiantly in the face of the enemy are not the only military personnel who should be awarded for their courage. This thought is what drove Maria Dickin to establish the Dickin medal through her veterinary charity the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA). The Medal was instituted in 1943 to honor the work of animals during World War II and has since honored 67 military service animals.
The first animals to receive the Dickin Medal were carrier pigeons that carried vital messages that contributed to the rescue of airmen from downed aircraft during 1942 and 1943. The award was given to numerous animals throughout the rest of the war ranging from a dog that was killed in combat while saving his human handlers by collecting a live grenade, to a pigeon that delivered crucial messages during the battles at Normandy. Unfortunately the award was largely forgotten following World War II, with no recipients between 1950-2000.
The medal made a spectacular resurgence following the September 11th attacks when it was given to 3 dogs: Apollo, Salty, and Roselle. Apollo received the Dickin medal on behalf of all search-and-rescue dogs that assisted in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks for their collective valor in the face of tragedy. Salty and Roselle were two Labrador guide dogs who received the medal for leading their blind owners down more than 70 flights of stars to escape the burning buildings during the attacks. Since then the Dickin Medal has been seen as a symbol of valor among service animals and has been awarded numerous times to animals who have helped save the lives of their human counterparts during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The latest recipient of the award is Bass, a Belgian Malinois. Bass received the PDSA Dickin Medal for his life-saving devotion to duty as a Multi-Purpose Canine in the US Marine Special Operation Command.
Bass’ life-saving actions during one particular deployment have earned him this prestigious Medal, making him the 75th recipient since the PDSA Dickin Medal was instituted in 1943.
