When you lose a pet, it can hurt just as much as losing a close member of your family. It’s a pain that can stay with us for a long, long time, and here’s a story where a fallen animal gets the acknowledgment it deserves.
Our dogs are precious to us. All of us. So it’s quite understandable that when one dies, we all feel like a great part of us is now missing. It was no different for Kyle Smith of the U.S. Air Force, who was paired with a 6-year-old military dog named Bodza back in 2012 during deployment in Kyrgyzstan.
Their bond grew very strong over the years, but in early March of 2017, Bodza had to be put down because of health complications. Kyle was devastated. He was in the military, and he knew he could NOT let emotions get to him, especially around his superiors who arrived at the veterinarian’s office when they learned Bodza was being euthanized.
But Kyle couldn’t contain his grief, and wept heavily while hugging Bodza. Kyle would later say, “I’ve never cried that much in my entire life.”
Yes, it hurt him… bad, and his commanders certainly understood his connection with the canine, and they KNEW Bodza was as close to Kyle as any other Air Force brother. And probably more.
So one of Kyle’s superiors quickly asked, “Where’s your American flag? Kyle then left and went to his nearby quarters, fetching the flag. Kyle’s commanders then draped the flag over Bodza’s body… in recognition of great service to his country.
