| 1st Marine War Dog Platoon‘s Private First Class John Kleeman and Caesar, serial 05H, an 87-pound (39.4-kilogram) German Shepard. Growing up in the Bronx, Caesar‘s natural skill was enhanced by his runs to the store for his owners, three brothers. They turned him over to the Dogs for Defense program the same day they signed up. The dog was recruited into the United States Marine Corps and trained at Camp Lejune, the Corps‘s dog handling training center. Caesar trained with Kleeman and Private First Class Rufus Mayo. They landed with the First Marine War Dog Platoon on Bougainville on November 1, 1943. On November 2, Caesar ran eleven runs, totaling 31 miles (50 kilometers) under fire between a 250-patrol of Second Marine Raider Regiment‘s Company M and the Regimental Command Post. Torrential rains had knocked out the radios, and telephone wire had yet to be run. On D+3, Mayo had control of the dog at the front line, and Kleeman was back at the Regimental Headquarters. Caesar leapt from Mayo‘s foxhole where he was sleeping and charged approaching Japanese infiltrators. Mayo called him back, and the Japanese shot Caesar, one bullet close to the heart. A firefight broke out and Caesar ran, wounded, all the way to Kleeman at headquarters. The surgeon decided to leave the bullet near the heart as an operation would be too risky. Caesar returned to duty in three weeks. First Marine War Dog Platoon left Bougainville on January 23, 1944. His story was widely and incorrectly reported as attacking a Japanese soldier with a grenade. Caesar was sent on a bond tour stateside where he was embraced by actress Heddy Lamar. The photo is most likely staged. | |
| Image Filename | wwii1071.jpg |
| Image Size | 129.70 KB |
| Image Dimensions | 512 x 369 |
| Photographer | Unknown |
| Photographer Title | |
| Caption Author | Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | January 14, 1944 |
| Location | Empress Augusta Bay |
| City | Cape Torokina |
| State or Province | Bougainville |
| Country | Solomons |
| Archive | |
| Record Number | |
| Status | Caption ©2007, ©2024 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission |
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