Marc and Anax
A bad feeling
Specialist Marc Whittaker and Anax had been in Afghanistan for about five months, loaned out to various units that wanted their bomb-sleuthing capabilities. The July Fourth mission was to clear the route to a combat outpost before logistics resupplied it. Whittaker and Anax along with some U.S. infantry soldiers and engineers and a group of Czech explosives specialists — about 30 men and one dog — left while it was still dark.
“Before the mission, I had a bad feeling,” Whittaker said. “You still have to do it. I’m a soldier and I have to drive on.”
They arrived at the post without incident after a few hours, with the convoy following. After checking out a report of unexploded ordnance in a nearby town, the group returned to take up position above the first town, to provide cover as the logistics team unloaded on the road. Suddenly, insurgents launched a rocket-propelled grenade, followed by small-arms fire directed at the logistics team.
Whittaker and the others were ordered to flanking positions.
“The mission changed to engage the enemy,” Whittaker said. “We’re running, we’re jumping over walls, we’re running through alleys and fields.”
“He’s like a son to me,” Whittaker said.
Anax was on a retractable leash attached to Whittaker’s belt. Bullets were cracking overhead, Whittaker said, and there was no cover.
“I thought, ‘I have to protect Anax,’” Whittaker said. “He doesn’t have body armor.”
Anax doesn’t wear body armor because it’s too heavy when walking in the heat.
Man and dog jumped to the road, and Whittaker shielded the dog with his own armor-clad body, with his back to the fire.
Anax was whining, Whittaker said, and bit Whittaker’s hand as he tried to cover him, although Whittaker said he doesn’t remember it. In the confusion, the soldier didn’t know the dog had been hit.
Anax was whining and had blood coming from both hind legs. Whittaker started treating the left leg first, where the most blood was.
Whittaker saw an empty mud structure and started heading for it.
“But I realize Anax isn’t beside me,” Whittaker said. “He’s almost always ahead of me, so I know something’s wrong.”
Whittaker went back, grabbed Anax by the collar and dragged him to the building.
“I remember thinking, ‘Oh my God, this is not happening,” Whittaker said.
Anax was whining and had blood coming from both hind legs. Whittaker started treating the left leg first, where the most blood was. It turned out that was just a flesh wound. The femur in Anax’s right leg, where the blood had clotted, was shattered.
Whittaker yelled for the medic. The medic gave Whittaker bandages and an IV but left with half the platoon to free an injured civilian trapped in a vehicle. By then, the shooting had stopped.
Whittaker applied pressure bandages to the dog’s wounds and tried to start an intravenous line, but couldn’t get the IV in. Anax was becoming glassy-eyed and lethargic.
Whittaker worried that he and Anax might not get a spot on the medevac that was arriving about a mile away. He wanted the dog on the helicopter, even if he couldn’t go along.
“I was determined,” he said.
He picked Anax up and started walking to the medevac site. But it was six hours into an exhausting mission, and the 75-pound dog was dead weight.
“I probably made it 10 meters,” Whittaker said.
The Czech soldiers stepped up to help.
In the middle of the combat zone, Whittaker said, a Czech soldier stripped off his shirt to use as a litter, but that didn’t work.
Three legs be damned…..I wanna play fetch!
An Afghan drove up in a truck, and the Czechs persuaded him to let them use his truck to take the dog to the medevac site.
Anax and Whittaker flew from there to Bagram Air Base, and on to Dog Center Europe, the Army veterinary hospital in Kaiserslautern, Germany.
Anax’s right leg was shattered too close to the hip to be saved, and after a five-hour operation, the dog became one of the wars’ amputees — and eligible to retire.
“I’m happy the only thing he lost was just a leg,” Whittaker said. “It could have been a lot worse.”
Anax and Spec. Marc Whittaker shared a bond before the dog was hit by an insurgent’s bullet in July and subsequently lost his right leg. The trauma of the event deepened the bond further for Whittaker.
Click on Memories that Never Fade for the next exciting chapter in this story
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(Article and photos by Nancy Montgomery. Used with permission from Stars and Stripes. (C) 2011 Stars & Stripes )
27 comments on “Marc and Anax”
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Kevin Hanrahan says: My pleasure Catherine. I have more coming on Marc and Anax in the next few weeks. Very compelling stuff.
Powerful story. I wept as I read it, and am so happy that Anax survived. Although what happened to him is horrible, dogs can live wonderful lives with three legs. Where is he now?
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Anax is still In Germany Bobbi. Marc is still taking care of him and working the adoption paperwork. Eventually MWD Anax will be going home permanently with Marc. I have several more features coming on Marc, MWD Anax and Marc’s new dog, MWD Dark.
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That’s wonderful news about the adoption! I’m so glad things have changed from the days when service dogs were left behind (or destroyed!) after our troops left a combat area.
We develop intensely close relationships with our animals under normal circumstances; I cannot imagine how that is compounded when in a combay zone, entrusting your very lives to one another.
I recently saw a video of returning military being greeted by their (pet) dogs who’d waited at home for them. It captured the love and loyalty between dog and person, and the unabashed, body-wagging joy of the dog when it saw that special person after such a long separation. Battle-hardened soldiers were reduced to tears, and I needed an entire box of tissues to get through it.
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Very cool story Kevin, and very, very well written. You have a literary ear. Well done. I’m retweeting it to my followers!
And I’m a dog person and partial to Shepherds. So this was very nice to read.
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Thank you Dave. I gotta give props to Mary who actually wrote this and allowed me to print it here on the site. I have a bunch more features on Marc and Anax coming though……all orginal content.
I love Sheps as well. They are the smartest dogs.
What a beautiful story, Kevin. I look forward to reading more from you–and your novel, too! Good luck with it. Who’s Mary?
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Thank you so much Lisa. I’m very happy with the way the site turned out.
Darn, I meant Nancy …..long day yesterday! This site and my manuscript edit are rotating through my head constantly. Nancy Montgomery actually wrote this story and the Stars and Stripes was kind enough to allow me use the article. Next week I’ll post a follow up on Marc and Anax. I have a series of very compelling follow up with Marc and Anax programmed over the next few months.
This is heartwarming story of brotherhood. I have read so many stories of soldiers getting killed and maimed on missions in the Iraq and Afghanistan but none compares to this. This is the first time I have heard of Anax and how brave Marc was in saving him.
That photo of Anax playing on the greens made me tearfully overjoyed.
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Thank you so much. I love this story and have connected with Marc so we can keep everyone updated on he and Anax.
I’m so glad to have found the end of the story and to know Anax survived. I hope he’s happy and has a home where he’s loved and honored. My best regards to Marc Whitaker too. He was worthy of his friend.
Lisa says: A poignant article, beautiful written .
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Thank you Lisa!
Kevin Hanrahan says: Here is a great comment from Laura sent directly to me:
Very cool story. My friend Erin is a vet tech who has a smaller dog missing a front leg. He just throws himself at life…faceplants all the time.. Then he gets right back up to play some more. I feel grateful to Marc and Anax for their service and inspired by their bond.
Michelle says: This is beautiful to read. Obviously, I’m not happy that Anax lost a leg, but the fact that Marc went through all of that to save his partner’s life restores my faith in humanity. Thank you for sharing.
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Hi Michelle. This is just another example of one Soldier willing to sacrificing himself for another. It’s an honor to spread the word.
[...] me tell you what this means from a Soldier’s perspective. Let’s take our hero Military Working Dog Anax who lost a leg fighting for his country? Specialist Marc Whittaker and Anax are currently stationed [...]
[...] me tell you what this means from a Soldier’s perspective. Let’s take our hero Military Working Dog Anax who lost a leg fighting for his country? Specialist Marc Whittaker and Anax are currently stationed [...]
[...] Marc and Anax Original Story [...]
[...] Breaking news! Our hero, Military Working Dog Anax, has officially retired from the Army. You may remember that Anax lost his hind leg in Afghanistan. [...]
Colleen says: Thank you so much for posting this..It lets people know that not only are there human war heroes but Canine ones as well.This story tugged at my heart strings..These dogs are brave and solid, doing what they are trained to do, putting their lives on the line every day without asking for anything, really.I as an amputee understand.Dogs are a little more adaptable when they do lose a limb, where people need a longer time to adjust.These dogs, as well as our human military heroes deserve our full and utmost respect.. Peace and love to all of our military, present and past, human and canine..I stand with you.
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Thank you for your kind words Colleen. I agree with you about the loss of limb….The pictures I see and what I know of Anax now is that he is still the same dog….pretty much…. Not sure if I were in his shoes that would be the same story.
I honestly believe in what you say about respecting our 4- legged heroes……they deserve to be recognized for their sacrifices!
[...] Marc and Anax Original Story [...]
[...] dogs saved many lives and gave so much, often their own lives. That’s where I found the story of Anax and Marc. Read it. Both are [...]
[...] Marc and Anax Original Story [...]
[...] The original blog about Anax [...]
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A very poignant article, thank you for sharing.
My pleasure Catherine. I have more coming on Marc and Anax in the next few weeks. Very compelling stuff.
Powerful story. I wept as I read it, and am so happy that Anax survived. Although what happened to him is horrible, dogs can live wonderful lives with three legs. Where is he now?
Anax is still In Germany Bobbi. Marc is still taking care of him and working the adoption paperwork. Eventually MWD Anax will be going home permanently with Marc. I have several more features coming on Marc, MWD Anax and Marc’s new dog, MWD Dark.
That’s wonderful news about the adoption! I’m so glad things have changed from the days when service dogs were left behind (or destroyed!) after our troops left a combat area.
We develop intensely close relationships with our animals under normal circumstances; I cannot imagine how that is compounded when in a combay zone, entrusting your very lives to one another.
I recently saw a video of returning military being greeted by their (pet) dogs who’d waited at home for them. It captured the love and loyalty between dog and person, and the unabashed, body-wagging joy of the dog when it saw that special person after such a long separation. Battle-hardened soldiers were reduced to tears, and I needed an entire box of tissues to get through it.
Very cool story Kevin, and very, very well written. You have a literary ear. Well done. I’m retweeting it to my followers!
And I’m a dog person and partial to Shepherds. So this was very nice to read.
Thank you Dave. I gotta give props to Mary who actually wrote this and allowed me to print it here on the site. I have a bunch more features on Marc and Anax coming though……all orginal content.
I love Sheps as well. They are the smartest dogs.
What a beautiful story, Kevin. I look forward to reading more from you–and your novel, too! Good luck with it. Who’s Mary?
Thank you so much Lisa. I’m very happy with the way the site turned out.
Darn, I meant Nancy …..long day yesterday! This site and my manuscript edit are rotating through my head constantly. Nancy Montgomery actually wrote this story and the Stars and Stripes was kind enough to allow me use the article. Next week I’ll post a follow up on Marc and Anax. I have a series of very compelling follow up with Marc and Anax programmed over the next few months.
This is heartwarming story of brotherhood. I have read so many stories of soldiers getting killed and maimed on missions in the Iraq and Afghanistan but none compares to this. This is the first time I have heard of Anax and how brave Marc was in saving him.
That photo of Anax playing on the greens made me tearfully overjoyed.
Thank you so much. I love this story and have connected with Marc so we can keep everyone updated on he and Anax.
I’m so glad to have found the end of the story and to know Anax survived. I hope he’s happy and has a home where he’s loved and honored. My best regards to Marc Whitaker too. He was worthy of his friend.
A poignant article, beautiful written .
Thank you Lisa!
Here is a great comment from Laura sent directly to me:
Very cool story. My friend Erin is a vet tech who has a smaller dog missing a front leg. He just throws himself at life…faceplants all the time.. Then he gets right back up to play some more. I feel grateful to Marc and Anax for their service and inspired by their bond.
This is beautiful to read. Obviously, I’m not happy that Anax lost a leg, but the fact that Marc went through all of that to save his partner’s life restores my faith in humanity. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Michelle. This is just another example of one Soldier willing to sacrificing himself for another. It’s an honor to spread the word.
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Thank you so much for posting this..It lets people know that not only are there human war heroes but Canine ones as well.This story tugged at my heart strings..These dogs are brave and solid, doing what they are trained to do, putting their lives on the line every day without asking for anything, really.I as an amputee understand.Dogs are a little more adaptable when they do lose a limb, where people need a longer time to adjust.These dogs, as well as our human military heroes deserve our full and utmost respect.. Peace and love to all of our military, present and past, human and canine..I stand with you.
Thank you for your kind words Colleen. I agree with you about the loss of limb….The pictures I see and what I know of Anax now is that he is still the same dog….pretty much…. Not sure if I were in his shoes that would be the same story.
I honestly believe in what you say about respecting our 4- legged heroes……they deserve to be recognized for their sacrifices!
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