The Epic of Dexter the War Dog. Getting Out of Afghanistan Was Just the Beginning

By Jean Vives

Sergeant Marc Majors, a trainer of Special Ops dogs meets the street dog Dexter while having coffee at a outdoor café. The dog enters Marc’s world of intrigue and stealth. In Afghanistan, Dexter saves Marc’s life during a Taliban ambush by pushing him off an IED just before it explodes. The blast gravely injures Marc. Their connection – the leash – is severed. No evidence of a dog is found on the battlefield. Dexter is captured by the Taliban. A daring night rescue saves Dexter from the enemy high in the Afghan mountains. On returning stateside, Dexter senses that Marc is alive and begins an epic quest to find him. Dexter crosses raging rivers, mountains and deserts. He survives bounty hunters, rattlesnakes, mountain lions, and wolves. Meanwhile, Marc fights PTSD and deep depression. Is Dexter still alive?

The characters and the setting draw you in and call every reader to find their own greatness with this story of heroism, love and determination. Through out the book there is a constant message that harkens back to the battle cry of Winston Churchill during the Second World War: “never, never, never give up”.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jean Vives
• Release date: Aug 8, 2016
• ISBN: 9781370827596

Jean Vives

This book has received many many rave reviews that cannot be published strictly on Smashwords since they were sentdirectly to the author. From Random House author Vimala McCLure--"This usually isn't the type of book I would normally read, but once I began, I couldn't stop. The relationship between this soldier and his dog is beautifully woven throughout, as is fascinating detail about how these "war dogs" and their soldiers are trained and bonded together. The adventures, both the soldier/dog dyad and the dog's amazing journey are well written and spell-binding. A terrific tale that leaves one wanting more! "The book is "riveting" and is highly recommended for juveniles and adults who love dogs (who doesn't?)"From screenwriter Jane Shepard: "What a rich compelling read! I started it at bedtime, thinking I would read a little each night, but the action and characters kept me turning pages until I'd read the whole book in one sitting! My congratulations to Jean Vives for creating a vivid story and characters that we warm to and care about so deeply. I highly recommend the book for its fascinating action story and reminiscent of some of the best young people's literature (the kind that parents want to read as well!)"Jean Vives is an award-winning writer with a doctorate in education who’s been published in outlets such as Ski, Skiing, and Outside magazines. However, my goal is to become a novelist. My debut work, The Epic of Dexter the War Dog (40K words) is a heartwarming YA story for both male and female readers, about the bond between a Special Forces dog and his handler.When military dog trainer Marc Majors meets an injured street dog (Belgian Malinois) at an outdoor café in Colorado Springs, he uses his experience and friendly manner to draw the wary dog closer. Dexter has porcupine quills in his nose, so Marc decides to take him to the base vet hospital. On the way, Dexter stops Marc from crossing the street by putting his body in front of him. His action saves Marc from getting run over by a construction truck.After several months of training together, Marc and Dexter are deployed to Afghanistan. There they search for snipers and improvised explosive devices (IEDs), until an unexpected explosion causes them to be injured and separated. Dexter wakes up in the hands of a group of teens. They want to collect the reward money for the dog and ingratiate themselves with the Taliban. But the kidnaping is just the beginning of a dangerous tour of duty for Dexter.As Marc attempts to recuperate in his Army hospital bed, Dexter braves an unforgiving wilderness of mountains, deserts, and rivers. The courageous war dog encounters a variety of human and animal friends and foes. As he does, Marc and Dexter attempt to combat their PTSD and their greatest fear—that they’ll never be reunited.My novel is a realistic adventure story that’s well-researched with cinematic appeal, reminiscent of works such as The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford, which was adapted to feature film (Disney); and Max (HarperCollins), about a military dog, which was also made into a movie (Warner Bros). Additionally, each chapter depicts a stand-alone adventure perfect for developing several Netflix episodes. My book is edgy and gritty, but it has a happy ending. Not written to “shock and awe,” the story is ultimately about love, courage, and determination.The inspiration for my novel is the real Dexter, my Marine son’s dog. In addition to being a writer, I’m a father and a well-known wilderness guide. All the adventures in my writing are inspired by my experience traveling the world. I’ve been to Kathmandu; come face-to-face with guerillas wielding machine guns during a coup d’état in Nicaragua; met Sir Edmund Hillary, the first man to climb Mt. Everest; etc.I’m also the founder of Aspen Alpine Guides, I’m a traditionally published author (Human Kinetics Press) of a nonfiction book about skiing, and I have a significant network of friends and influencers who will help promote my writing. I’m active on social media (FB, Twitter, and Instagram). And I’m an accomplished speaker and instructor who’s worked with various nonprofits including the Red Cross.

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Raves for The War Dog Epic!

This usually isn’t the type of novel I would read, but once I began, I couldn’t stop. The adventures, both the soldier/dog dyad and the dog’s amazing journey are well written and spell binding. A terrific tale that leaves one wanting more!

Vimala McClure

Random House Author

As a high school teacher, I will be using this touching and warm-hearted story in my classes to teach life's lessons to my students through real life drama. I am looking forward to more writing by Jean Vives.

Lisa Broderick

Napa, California

A great read-along chapter book, the characters and the setting draw you in and call to every reader to their own greatness with this story of heroism.

Carol Myers

Boulder, Colorado

On the surface, The Epic of Dexter is just one more man and dog story. When the reader delves deeper, however, this epic is more – much more. The core of the story is the bond between a soldier and his War Dog, a theme that hearkens back to Jack London's Call of the Wild. Best of all, The Epic of Dexter is a great read.

Barry Bley,

Westminster, Colorado

The book was a lot more than just about dogs and soldiers. It really drilled into the training of the dogs and their soldier masters. The book is a great story of determination and the will to survive and succeed following a terrible ambush that leaves dog and soldier injured and separated. A fantastic book! Enjoyable and exciting.

Christi Cantrell,

Aspen, Colorado

Other Books by Jean Vives

Hiking With Lamas

Backcountry Skiing

Ski Randonnee!

Snow Camping the Everest Way

Mountain Weather for Hikers

Mountain Weather for Backcountry Skiers

Copyright, Sept. 2015 by Jean Vives

All rights reserved.

Published in the United States by Create Space.

401 Interlocken Drive, Broomfield, Colorado 80021

Jean would love to hear from you! : [e-mail],

www.Facebook.com/dexterthewardog

Twitter: @wardogepic

Goggle: wardogepic.com

ISBN 978-1530840496

ASIN BO1BPKKEGTE

Layout and design by Jean Vives

Photographs from ThinkStock Images and Jean Vives

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Table of Contents

The Encounter

Training

Afghanistan

The Incident at El Alzaref

Captured

Landstuhl, Germany

Intel Briefing at FOB Alpha

The Rescue

The Homecoming

The Quest Begins

The Lion

Idiots, Snakes and Storms

The Help of Strangers

The Bounty Hunter

Wolves Pick Up the Trail

A Man Wearing Blue

Desperate Crossings

A New Battle Awaits

Discovery

Reunion

Epilogue

Notes

Resources

About the Author

Acknowledgements

A great book deserves great editors. Vimala McClure, Carl Schneider, Bruce Johnson and Barry Bley helped to shape it into a readable text. A big thank you to all those who have inspired and helped me along the way.

I dedicate this book to my parents and for all that they have given me

1: The Encounter

Staff Sergeant Marc Majors was drinking a double shot tall latte while sitting outside at his favorite off base Cafe in Colorado Springs. He was enjoying the bright Colorado sun and some time alone away from the family and work as a soldier at the Army's nearby Fort Carson - Mountain Post.

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a slender fawn colored dog approaching him begging him for some scraps. He had sad eyes and was frightened to come close. He approached anyway. He was hungry and hopeful that the soldier with the kind eyes and calm vibe would be generous. He was used to living on the streets. He ate what he found in trash cans and dumpsters. He occasionally caught rabbits that were everywhere in this town that was so close to the mountains. Strangers would often beat him just for fun. But he was starving and had to take a chance that this person would be different. He had belonged to a migrant family who had abused him. They chased him away before leaving for Texas to harvest the incoming crops. Dexter approached Marc with his head and tail low. He looked at Marc side- ways like a dog does when he ‘s not sure if he will get hit.

Sergeant Majors was a member of the K-9 unit in charge of base security. He had been working with dogs for nine years. He knew more about dogs than most people in or out of uniform. The young dog seemed to be in pain. Looking closer, the soldier noticed that the dog had several porcupine quills stuck in his nose. Ouch! That must be painful, he thought. It would make foraging for food difficult for a street dog. The dog whined and tried to swipe at his nose as if thinking he could pull out the quills using his paws.

Marc encouraged the dog to come closer by offering him a small piece of doughnut. Marc saw that the dog was a Belgian Malinois. This was a breed that was developed as a sheep dog but more recently had become popular for military and police work. They were in demand due to their endurance, speed and the ability to acclimatize to hot weather.

The soldier said, Well boy, here’s a treat for you. The dog’s eyes brighten as he took the morsel gently from the soldier’s fingers. Suddenly, the owner of the cafe rushed out with a broom to chase the dog away. Get out of here, man! he yelled. He looked at the soldier and complained, He comes by here all the time to get scraps. But, I’ve never seen him come this close before. The soldier told the shop owner to stop hassling the dog if he wanted him to be a repeat customer. The shop owner explained, I could get a citation if the health department catches me with dogs on the property. There’s a table just on the other side of the fence over there that you might like. How about a refill on your coffee! Marc responded, Sure, sure, I understand, it’s cool!

Marc got up from the table with the young dog watching his every move (as hungry dogs do). He sat down at his new table. The cafe owner poured him some new coffee with a smile. All was forgiven. The dog lay down at Marc’s feet on the concrete sidewalk. Marc read the dog’s well-worn dirty red collar. Hanging from the collar was a beat up nametag. It read, D-e-x-t-e-r. So Dexter! Marc said, My name is Marc! How do you do?

Marc liked the dog. He seemed calm even though he was in pain and looked hungry. The soldier couldn’t stand nervous dogs that barked a lot. A thought suddenly came into his head, ‘would this dog be a candidate for the K-9 corps? ’ There was only one - way to find out. He decided to take the dog back to base - only a mile away. If nothing else, he could get the porcupine quills taken out of his nose at the base vet hospital.

Do you want to come with me, boy? The dog’s tail wagged. His eyes brightened, and he threw up his head playfully. The soldier got up and told the dog, Come on boy! Stay with me! The dog got the message. After all, if the dog remained a street dog, he would certainly be picked up by Animal Control and be impounded under poor conditions. The dog walked a few paces behind him as they went down the busy sidewalk on the way back to the base.

They had come to a pedestrian crossing that traversed a very busy avenue. It was approaching the noon lunch hour, and people were rushing everywhere. There was a heavy flow of cars and trucks. Marc wasn’t paying attention. He was hoping to find a break in the traffic to cross the road quickly.

He was at the edge of the pavement and was about to run across with the dog. Suddenly, the dog ran up to him and seemingly without reason, he placed his body sideways in front of the soldier. Dexter wouldn’t move. He persisted in stopping Marc from getting around him. He was blocking him from crossing the street!

What’s going on boy? We have to get across! Let’s go! he said with some annoyance. Just then, without warning, a huge yellow construction truck roared past kicking up exhaust fumes and dust! The truck driver was speeding and had gone through the stop – light!

Marc stood back in shock. He had to catch his breath. Dexter had just saved his life! ‘This dog is one special animal, he thought. He had a quality that most candidates to the canine corps lacked, this dog had an invaluable gift – he had street smarts, something that could not be taught. It had to be learned through the classroom of hard knocks by surviving on the streets with wits and cunning. As Marc bent down on his knees to pet the dog, the dog licked his face. Marc said to the dog, Do you want to come home with me? Dexter barked with enthusiasm. Alright! said Marc. Little did they know of the life and death dangers they would face together as they walked through the main gate of the Army’s Mountain Post" on that bright sunny after-noon.

2: Training

Marc was 28 years old, from Boulder, Colorado. He was 5