FRANK SUTTON
Dr. Frank F. Sutton: A Dog’s Best Friend
Life has an interesting way of changing the course of one’s fate and turning even the most well-planned schemes upside down. In the case of Dr. Frank F. Sutton, his journey to becoming a veterinarian was less than conventional, to put it mildly. A few days after the attack on Pearl Harbor occurred on December 7, 1941, Dr. Sutton made the bold decision to join the United States Marine Corps. A native of Kansas City, Missouri, he was sent to San Diego, California for boot camp training as an infantryman. Dr. Sutton recalls that "anyone east of the Mississippi went to the east coast, while anyone west of the river ended up on the west coast". At the end of June 1942, Dr. Sutton’s unit was deployed to the Solomon Islands, but would eventually land at Guadalcanal for the first invasion. After the invasion at Guadalcanal, Dr. Sutton’s unit was sent to New Zealand in an effort to prevent a Japanese invasion of New Zealand and Australia. Dr. Sutton would return to his base in San Diego after an approximately a six month stay in New Zealand. As a young man, Dr. Sutton was afflicted with the dangerous illness, Malaria, and suffered such a serious bout at one time, he almost did not survive. He recalls that even to this day, the Malaria remains in his body and can affect his well-being when his immunity is compromised; a constant reminder of his sacrifice to his country. 
Upon his return to the United States, Dr. Sutton overheard a conversation between two well-respected sergeants. The men were discussing the changes to the USMC, and noted how the USMC included women and even allowed dogs. Hearing the prospect of canines in the military, Dr. Sutton’s interest was peaked and he "wanted so very much to go to a dog outfit." Since the age of thirteen, Dr. Sutton worked at dog kennels in his home state of Missouri. In high school he worked for two different veterinarians, where he learned the practice of caring for animals. Dr. Sutton pursued an education in pre-veterinary studies prior to the start of the War, but he would be forced to put his studies on hold in order to serve his country. However, it was Dr. Sutton’s intention, that when he returned from the War, he would again continue his devotion to veterinary medicine.
Dr. Sutton expressed his interest to join a dog outfit and received orders to report to Camp LeJeune, North Carolina. Despite his lack of formal training, Dr. Sutton was assigned the task of training the dogs for scout work and patrol work. Dr. Sutton describes a typical day of training: during the first-half of the day, the handlers and the trainers worked directly with the dogs. The dogs were taken out into the woods and were taught to alert to any sort of movement in the brush. During the second-half of the day, the trainers worked directly with the handlers to teach them how to read the dogs. Dr. Sutton remembers that part of this training included throwing sticks of dynamite to get the dogs accustomed to loud sounds, and to keep them focused on their training mission, even in the midst of complete chaos. Dr. Sutton chuckles as he describes the first time he heard a stick of dynamite explode after returning from combat. He remembers jumping in the air in shock, as he had not heard a shot in months.
Still very much interested in a career in veterinarian medicine, Dr. Sutton approached a veterinarian involved in the care of the military dogs, Dr. Stewart, and made it known that his intention was to become a veterinarian. Dr. Sutton comments, "I made a nuisance of myself, but that is what I wanted to do with my life and I wanted them to know it." It was clear that Dr. Sutton’s main objective was to care for these animals and better their quality of life.
In the late fall of 1943, the first dog platoon was scheduled to be deployed. Some time after the platoon’s departure, Dr. Sutton came under the tutelage of Dr. Putney. In 1945, Dr. Sutton was preparing to, again, be deployed to Japan to work with a dog platoon but these plans were halted, as the United States dropped the atomic bomb, dramatically changing the course of the War.
Although Dr. Sutton did not follow his canine comrades and their handlers into combat, he, nevertheless, developed a strong bond with these animals and their human counterparts. Dr. Sutton recalls caring for the dogs by feeding them, checking them for worms, and tending to their various medical needs. He recalls that, as part of the debriefing process after the War, the trainers attempted to place an already trained dog with another handler to encourage the dog to enter civilian life. However, Dr. Sutton notes that the bond between the prior handler and the dog was so strong that it was often hard for the dog to simply adjust to a new handler. Just as worms, ticks, and fleas affect present day pets, so, too, were the dogs of the war dog platoons afflicted with these ailments. Dr. Sutton recalls a heartworm and hookworm problem just before the end of the War.
On December 18, 1945, Dr. Sutton was discharged from his service to the USMC. Returning home to a widowed mother in Missouri, Dr. Sutton, determined to become a veterinarian, enrolled in Kansas State. From December 1945 to January 1946, he completed his pre-requisite courses in veterinary studies. Then, in the fall of 1946, he was accepted to the prestigious Kansas State Veterinary School. Dr. Sutton recalls that at that time, there were only about eight veterinary schools in the United States. As a student, Dr. Sutton lived near the campus with his mother in an apartment building in the Manhattan section of the state. It was in that apartment building that he met his wife, Alice, a first grade teacher. Dr. Sutton fondly remembers that, "Alice lived in the same building, and that is where we met. We were married in 1947 and today have four children."
A lifelong resident of Missouri, Dr. Sutton graduated from Kansas State Veterinary School, and returned to Mexico, Missouri, to open his own private practice. As a veterinarian he was devoted to caring for large animals, having served over 40 years as a veterinarian. Dr. Sutton retired from practice in the late 1980s.
When asked about the Doberman Pinscher and the breed’s service as military dogs, Dr. Sutton notes that they were "very nice dogs and extremely devoted to their handlers." He marvels at the bond between the military handler and the canine as each handler became familiar with the particular behaviors and character traits of their partner. Dr. Sutton believes these dogs were a tremendous asset to the War effort and strongly feels that each dog killed at Guam, saved at least one marine’s life. To sum up the loyalty of these heroic animals, Dr. Sutton’s poignantly states, "At the end of the day, all the dogs got was a pat on the head and some praise, but, to the dog, it was all they needed."
You can click on any of the names below to read their amazing stories
Lawrence Schurz · Francis Pastusic · Bruce Wellington · Thurman Clark · Kenneth Shepperd · Samuel Harvey Winstead · Robert Forsyth · Ed Adamski · Frank Sutton · Dale Quillen · John Mahoney · Walter Marx · Ivan Hamilton · Richard Reinauer · Earl Wright · Cyril O'Brien