Kane: An old dog spry as a spring chicken.
The working military dog, retired and the ward by adoption of his former handler, Air Force Sgt. Michael Urquehart, entertained 80-plus responsive folks at the Bass Community Building Thursday evening. The program was part of the Iola Reads program, focused on “Cracker,” a Vietnam-era version of Kane.
Russ Baxley, a Red Barn veterinarian, would have been the butt of the entertainment, were it not for a heavily padded gauntlet.
Urquehart dispatched the German Shepherd during a show-and-tell session with a command that Baxley was “a bad guy.” Kane single-mindedly dashed to Baxley and sank sharp incisors, propelled by vise-like jaws, into what would have been his arm were it not protected.
The demonstration graphically revealed two of a military working dogs’ three attributes, which justify acquisition of some costing as much as $10,000.
“They have a good nose, sharp teeth and can run 30 miles an hour,” Urquehart said.
URQUEHART is stationed at McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, where he is kennel master for eight dogs. He spent Thursday in Iola, during the day at elementary schools and at the wrap-up in the evening.
He was deployed to Afghanistan with Kane. Having read a good portion of “Cracker: The Best Dog in Vietnam,” Urquehart vouched for the authenticity of what the novel portrays.
Kane and the dogs he cares for in Wichita have similar roles in the Middle East, finding bad guys, explosives and drugs. They also have a domestic mission, aiding the Secret Service in protecting the president.
“Lots of people in the world don’t like the president, no matter who he is,” Urquehart said, which sends handlers and dogs “all over the world to support the Secret Service,” the president’s main line of defense.” The dogs “sweep airplanes, luggage, restaurants, everything.”
Urquehart and Kane served in the capacity thrice, twice in Miami, Fla., and once in Manhattan, N.Y.
The dogs also protect military personnel and airplanes on bases, domestically and abroad.
In his deployment with Kane — of four for the dog — “he found one IED (improvised explosive device), which may not sound like much. But, on every mission with Kane we never got hit by an IED. He did phenomenal work.”
One mission was clearing pathways outside their firebase. Roads, bridges and beaten paths were off limits, because of the likelihood of booby traps. An area to be cleared was a grape vineyard.
In Afghanistan vines are next to mud walls, which support them and also provide a route for irrigation. Walking parallel to the walls put soldiers at risk, so handlers and dogs worked perpendicular, climbing the low walls and marking risk-free trails.
