From Family Pet to Front-Line Soldier

Pal’s story began with a patriotic sacrifice by the Kirn family, who lent their loyal German Shepherd to the U.S. Army K9 Corps during the height of World War II. Pal was deployed to the Pacific, where he served in active combat throughout the grueling Ryukyus campaign.

It was there that he met his handler, Marshall Thomas. Their bond was so profound that when the war ended, the Kirn family made a selfless request: they asked the Army to release Pal to Marshall so the two brothers-in-arms would never have to be parted.

"A More Willing Soldier Never Was"

In 1946, Pal and Marshall were officially honorably discharged and settled together in Seattle. Reflecting on their service, Marshall later wrote:

"Pal was just a dog in the K9 Corps, but a more willing soldier. I know this because I handled him through the Ryukyus campaign, and a better buddy there never was."

A Tragic Turn of Fate

In 1947, Marshall needed to move to California to secure dog-friendly housing. While he searched, he left Pal in the temporary care of a friend’s mother in Seattle.

One morning, after his customary 6:00 AM bathroom break, Pal returned home severely ill. A veterinarian determined he had been poisoned, likely by rat bait. Tragically, Pal did not survive. The woman broke the news to Marshall in a letter and placed Pal’s remains in a small urn, tucked away in a closet to await Marshall’s return.

But Marshall never came back. The urn remained in the quiet darkness of that closet, forgotten by time, for three-quarters of a century.

The Rediscovery (Early 2022)

The silence was finally broken in early 2022. While clearing out their mother's Seattle home after her passing, a family discovered the urn alongside Pal's official U.S. Army discharge papers. Realizing they had found a forgotten hero, they reached out to the Michigan War Dog Memorial.

Finally Home: June 18, 2022

On June 18, 2022, the Michigan War Dog Memorial gave Pal the homecoming he had earned 75 years prior. He was laid to rest with full military honors, finally reuniting with his fellow K9s under the open sky.