Medals are existed not only in the human world but also in the animal kingdom. This medal is called as ” Dickin Medal”. Dickin Medal is the highest medal in the animal kingdom. After world war II, the coalition awarded 70 Dickin Medal to 32 dogs, 4horses, 1 cat, and 33 homing pigeons for saving lives and helping to win the war.
Follow me and see their heroic deeds.
1) Dog – Lucca ( Date of Award: 2012 )
Lucca is a 12-year-old German shepherd, who has worked in the United States Marine corps for more than six years and has joined in over 400 missions in Iraq and Afghanistan war.
She was awarded the Dickin Medal by the British animal charity PDSA for her bomb-sniffing efforts to protect the lives of U.S. soldiers.
Lucca is also the first animal in the U.S. Marine corps to receive the medal. No one was hurt during the patrol she was on.
Her owner said: “Lucca is very intelligent, loyal and does a lot of dog hunting”. In addition, Jan McLoughlin, PDSA director, said: “Lucca is very brave and responsible and deserves the Dickin Medal. Her ability and determination to find explosives and weapons protected the lives of soldiers in one of the world’s most violent military conflicts.”
2) Horse – Sergeant Reckless ( Date of Award: 2016 )
The Sergeant Reckless, one of the chestnut mare, is the 68th animal to receive Dickin Medal in the London and Korean war.
The Sergeant Reckless carries wounded soldiers and equipment through a rain of bullets in a war.
McLoughlin said: ” the story of recklessness is a remarkable bravery behavior and this shows why we respect animals in this way”.
3) Cat – Simon ( Date of Award: 1949)
Simon is a black and white cat. On April 20, 1949, Simon was wounded by gunfire during the amethyst incident. No one believes it will survive the night. However, He survived.
While the amethyst was stranded on the Yangtze river, Simon recovered to catch rats on board, boosting the crew’s morale. He started to catch the mouse to protect the cereals and prevent soldiers from being bitten.
It was the end of 101 days and nights. The Emeciste came back to the homeland. While all the people are immersed in joy, on 28th Dec 1949, he died of congenital heart disease.
4) Pigeon – Princess ( Date of Award: 1946 )
Princess is the 32 animal to receive the medal because of her excellent behaviors in the war.
In World War II, Princess was sent to carry on a special mission secretly. She was carrying very important information, escapes the bombardment, and saves many soldiers’ lives.
Of course, there are many animals that have got Dickin Medals. I will show you a detailed file from PDSA ( A charity for pets ).