MAN'S BEST FRIEND

And these are our men...soldiers of 1-36 and 1-37.

When U.S. troops rolled into Baghdad at the climax of the war last spring, some of them took up security posts by the Palestine Hotel near the east bank of the Tigris River.

A white dog came on the scene, got friendly with the troops, and stayed.

Those soldiers were with the 3rd Infantry Division. Later, their division pulled out and was replaced by the 1st Armored Division...

“She was already there and set in her ways,” said Staff Sgt. Sean Fox, 34, of Newport, R.I., a tank platoon sergeant with the 1st Armored Division’s Company B, 1st Battalion, 37th Armor Regiment...

But, partly thanks to Lucy, the troops at the Palestine have not one dog, but three. The other two are Lucy’s son, the brown-and-white Litefighter – the nickname of Fox’s platoon; and Shellie, a young German shepherd who “came out of nowhere one day,” said Fox, and got along with everyone, man and dog...

And at night, the dogs go fully tactical.

“A lot of times we’re on patrol,” said Fox. “Whenever we walk out the gate, they’re there with us, always in front, lookin’ around. … If any other dogs come into the compound, these three are right there, Lucy leading the charge, chasing them off.”