Wounded Solider And His Dog Reunited After Being Awarded Purple Hearts

A wounded soldier has been reunited with his dog after the two were severely injured in a suicide bombing in Afghanistan. U.S. Army Specialist Alec Alcoser was on patrol with his 8-year-old German Shepherd, Alex, when a young Afghan man ran toward them and detonated a suicide vest. The two have been separated since they received Purple Hearts in Washington D.C. due to their rehab programs. 

Alcoser took shrapnel to about 30% of his body, suffered multiple broken bones, and a brain injury in the blast while Alex, who was in a state of shock, lost a leg. 

“I would yell at him, and his ears would twitch, but he wouldn’t look at me,” Alcoser told the San Antonio Express-News. “I think he was in a state of shock. He didn’t growl, he didn’t bark, he didn’t cry. He stayed right there.”

Alcoser and Alex were inseparable during their time in Afghanistan. The only time the two were apart was when Alcoser went to eat.

“On a day with a mission, we’d wake up, I would give him a doggie treat, and I would have some ice cream before we went out, and when we got back, we usually slept,” Alcoser said.

Alcoser is taking everything "day-by-day" and hopes to return to the battlefield to honor the men and women who have lost their lives. Despite the long and painful rehabilitation process, Alcoser refuses to complain about it. 

"And Alex ain't complaining, so I don't think I should, either. His injuries are a little worse than mine," Alcoser said. "A lot of people call him a dog, but I think he's a little more than that. He's a soldier."


Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content