Terry Dernik went into the army with the goal of becoming a helicopter pilot. Instead, he took on the title of a scout dog handler in the Vietnam War, a position he at first knew very little about but quickly saw to wear the title with a badge of honor.
Scout dog handlers were people working with dogs, usually a German Shepard or Black Labrador Retriever, that would use their strong sense of smell to help scout out a number of things such as a trap from the enemy or a lost soldier looking to be found.
“Scout dogs were trained to find booby traps, mines, personnel ambushes, anything out of the ordinary,” Dernik said.
While the handlers started out in groups, Dernik explained that this was usually a one man job on the field.
“What I think is unique and that many people don't realize is that you always see in the army movies and everything else that these guys have their buddies, their squads, or a group. Scout dog handlers had none of that. They had acquaintances in the barracks and everything, but when they went out, they went on their own with their dog. They were going to an unfamiliar place to support people they never knew. And when they got out there, they were totally in control,” Dernik said.
Dernik and his dogs were responsible for scouting out tunnels. Once the dogs found the tunnels, other soldiers were able to enter the passageways.
“The Vietnamese were famous for hiding in holes and tunnels,” Dernik explained.
While working as a dog handler, Dernik and his four-legged companions encountered many unique situations, but there were a couple instances that stood out in particular. The first was something Dernik never fathomed he could see in his lifetime.
“The biggest thing that my dog and I ever found was what you could call an underground encampment. It was actually three stories underground, dug in the clay. It had a hospital; it had a mess hall; it had bunks and beds, everything underground three levels high. They estimated it was holding two to 300 people in there,” said Dernik. “In fact, they had a real hard time rolling it up. They had to bring in some specialty, explosive experts. It was incredible. It was like going into a parking garage here.”
Dernik also said he’ll always remember when he and his dog were required to find missing soldiers in a high-stress situation.
“The first sergeant was the guy that ran the place. One day, he came up to me and said, ‘We have a problem. We’ve got five guys missing,’” Dernik said. “So the dog and I go out. We had another first sergeant with us and some other guy. We're looking for guys that are out there lost with their guns equipped, and they don't know who's coming up on them or anything else. In essence, you’re walking into a trap by your own people. That was the scariest thing for me.”
While the process was extremely nerve-wracking, Dernik said they eventually found all five missing men, which was a huge relief off his shoulders. However, the fear and anxiety he felt during the search is something he’ll never forget.
Dernik’s journey to becoming a dog handler started the moment he went to join the army.
When he entered the army, he was required to complete a set of tests to show he was eligible to fight. He passed many of them with flying colors such as the written tests and physicals, but there was one section that held him back from becoming a pilot.
“I have high-frequency hearing loss, and you can’t hear radio signals with that, which is required as a pilot,” Dernik said.
As a result, Dernik went on to basic training in Fort Benning, Georgia, and following that he went to Fort Lewis, Washington for what is called advanced individual training (AIT). While at AIT, he had the opportunity to go to non-commissioned officer’s (NCO) school.
“It was a volunteer thing where you went to a school, and when you came out you were a sergeant. Unfortunately, at that time, when you came out of that school and became a sergeant, you also had a direct ticket to Vietnam,” Dernik said.
However, Dernik said he chose to complete the schooling because he frequently heard on the news that the war would be ending soon. He also knew that if he went to school, it would lessen his time overseas.
“So what me and a lot of guys were trying to do is stretch out our time in the states, so we didn't have to go to Vietnam – which is why I went to NCO school. It's a 12-week school and at about 10 weeks you have a peer evaluation,” Dernik said.
The peer evaluation, unfortunately, didn’t end up in Dernik’s favor.
Dernik knew one of his classmates in NCO school since they went to elementary school together. The school had a rule that if you had a 90% average or higher in your classes, you were exempt from a three-hour study hall every evening. Dernik was able to easily keep his grades up, so he and his friend decided to have some fun.
“Almost every night, I’d go out and get my buddy and we'd get roaring drunk in trouble,” Dernik laughed. “There was Columbus, Georgia, and then across the river was Phoenix City, Alabama, and they were two GI towns. My peers and the young guys were jealous of all of that, and they decided that I couldn't be an NCO.”
This left him with two options: Dernik could now go directly into the army or could pursue another direction, one he never knew even existed at the time.
“They said, ‘We’ve got a 14-week dog school,’ and I didn’t have a clue about what a dog school was but to sign up for 14 more weeks in the states, so I said, ‘Why not?’” Dernik said.
Dernik quickly found out, though, that dog school was geared more towards the people than the animals.
“The dogs actually took a lot longer than 14-weeks to train; we were actually learning to handle dogs by training the dogs that were there. We weren’t necessarily going to be with that dog because it may not have been completely trained when you were finished,” Dernik said.
While Dernik was in training, he was paired with a dog named Bounce. Like all other dogs in the war, Bounce was given a short, snappy name he could easily recognize and not get confused with in high-stress situations.
In March of 1970, Dernik finally made his way over to Vietnam with his new companion, Willie, at his side, his first of many dogs he’d work with while overseas. He was then in Vietnam for one month shy of two years, working long, hard hours as a scout dog handler.
Despite all the challenges and difficulties that came with the position, Dernik said he was extremely proud of the time he served overseas. He knew he was greatly helping his country while also being a major assistance to his team in numerous aspects. The progress he made and the lives he saved made his experience all the more worthwhile.
Dernik said for those interested in learning more, he recommends searching “Vietnam dog handlers” online. Since dog handlers are involved in every war, it's best to be as specific as possible when doing research. He said the internet is full of knowledge, so he’s excited for people to see all the fascinating and intriguing stories out there to learn more about the life of a Vietnam scout dog handler.