William W. Putney

William W. Putney, a Marine Corps officer who trained war dogs during World War II and wrote of their heroism in his book " Always Faithful, " has died. He was 83.

Mr. Putney died Tuesday of cancer at his Woodland Hills home.

Mr. Putney, a former Marine captain and retired veterinarian, handled war dogs in the campaign on the Pacific island of Guam and credited his wartime survival to a Doberman pinscher named Cappy and other canines he trained.

Mr. Putney recalled leading a patrol of men and three of his dogs, after the 1944 invasion of Guam, as they flushed out Japanese soldiers hiding in caves on a nearby island.

" A shot rang out from the distance, and the dog right in front of me name of Cappy, a Doberman I saw him fly into the air. I could see the hole in his chest. He was dead, " Mr. Putney said in a 2000 newspaper interview. " If it hadn ' t been for Cappy right in front of me, I would have been the target. "

Mr. Putney and his men buried 24 of the war dogs before they left Guam, and they never forgot their four-footed friends.

Years later, after discovering their war-dog cemetery was ruined by a typhoon, Mr. Putney began a campaign to honor the dogs. It culminated in their 1994 reburial, with a 21-gun salute, on the U.S. Navy base at Orote Point during ceremonies observing the 50th anniversary of the Guam invasion.

Mr. Putney, a native of Farmville, Va., had a degree in veterinary science from Auburn University when he went through officers ' training at Quantico, Va. He was asked to organize a dog-training school at what is now Camp Lejeune, N.C.

He helped pioneer training techniques that converted pets into scouts, messengers and guards, then returned them to pet status in peacetime.

Mr. Putney conditioned dogs to gunfire and other loud battle noises and taught them to warn of hidden enemies by silently pointing their bodies or pricking their ears instead of barking. He also trained the canines to deliver messages and sniff out land mines and trip wires.

After World War II, Mr. Putney became the chief veterinarian of the Marine Corps.

Mr. Putney, who belatedly received a Silver Star in 1995 for bravery demonstrated on Guam, published his book, " Always Faithful: A Memoir of the Marine Dogs of World War II, " in 2001.

He is survived by his wife; two sons; and several grandchildren.