Thankful veteran feeling the love
LOREN BENOIT/Press Marshall Young and his Dutch shepherd military dog and best pal Jack. Marshall spent years overseas as a contracted dog handler deployed with Army units. Community support has flooded in to help Young pay for vet bills for his dog Storm, who died last month, and Jack, who went in for surgery on Tuesday.
Memorabilia and photos of disabled Navy veteran Marshall Young with his beloved dogs Storm and Jack are seen here. These letters of support were sent by community members who want to help the Disabled American Veterans Chapter 9 as it assists Young with vet bills and other needs to get him on his feet. Courtesy photo
Letters of support, blessings and love for disabled veteran Marshall Young and his canine companion Jack were sent to Disabled American Veterans Chapter 9 after DAV adjutant Bob Hunt asked the community to help cover vet bills for Young's dogs. His beloved Dutch shepherd Storm died in October and Jack, 9, is currently undergoing surgery and treatment for medical issues. (Courtesy photo)
By DEVIN WEEKS
Staff Writer
Don't let the squeaky toy fool you — Jack is a professional military dog.
With ears like furry pointed satellites and eyes that miss nothing, this Dutch shepherd can rescue people buried under rubble or trapped in buildings. This protective pooch also makes it clear when it's time to keep your distance. He earned the nickname "Fur Missile" for a reason.
"He is basically like a chain saw," said Jack's handler, Marshall Young, giving his canine companion a loving glance. "We've been through a lot together."
Jack's ears twitched at the sound of Young's voice, the voice he's known since he was just a pup. He lifted his head to return the affection, letting Young know this dog has eyes only for him.
Young was quiet a moment, reflecting on his time with his loyal four-legged pals. His heart aches to talk about Storm, his beloved Dutch shepherd who died of cancer in October. It aches even more knowing that Jack is exhibiting the same signs and health issues as Storm, and the future is uncertain.
Young is a disabled Navy veteran who spent years in Iraq as a contracted dog handler. He deployed with Army units and his dogs, Mordo, Storm and Jack, were always at his side. Mordo, a Belgian Malinois, was killed in an accident stateside. Jack and Storm were all he had left.
Young, 47, was driving across the U.S. in 2015 when he ran out of gas in Post Falls and had no money to continue. He was hit hard during the Great Recession, having used all of his savings for schooling. He is a graduate of the University of North Texas and has a master's degree in government, but employment has been difficult because of his medical condition, which includes a growth in his brain. He was headed to Whidbey Island Naval Air Station, where he had been stationed.
“After the war, when the bottom dropped out on me," he said, "it was the only place I knew to go.”
Beneath the glow of the yellow Love's truck stop sign, he slept in his rig with his dogs. They kept him warm and sane.
"Jack and Storm, they saved my life," Young said.
As with any dedicated pet owner, Young did what he could to keep Storm alive as long as he could. It required two surgeries and several veterinary visits, which cost thousands of dollars Young, a volunteer at the Post Falls Food Bank, just doesn't have.
Disabled American Veterans Chapter 9 found Young and pooled funds to help pay for Storm and Jack's bills.
Earlier this month, DAV Chapter 9 adjutant Bob Hunt shared Young's dilemma in a front-page Press article, calling for the community to help.
The community answered, and in a big way. About 160 checks and letters of support poured in, to the tune of $16,000 that the local DAV will handle on Young's behalf.
“The people in this area, they’re very generous,” Hunt said. "We got 45 $100 checks — 45 different people sat down and wrote $100 checks to Marshall. And we got a $2,000 check, a $1,000 check. A slew of $200 (checks)."
The hand-written letters were filled with notes of love, gratitude and blessings:
"Thank you for your service and the protection you provided our soldiers. You and Jack are in my prayers and I'm so very grateful to be able to help. God bless."
"Good luck to you and a sincere 'Thank you for your service.' My brothers and husband all served and I know how much of a sacrifice it is."
"I hope this helps. God bless our military."
Young had no idea DAV would go to bat for him like this.
"‘Overwhelmed’ doesn’t really do it,” he said. “But it reinforces the notion that I had here that first time, like I said. When the community found me in the truck, they put their arms around me and wouldn’t let me go."
The vets at River City Animal Hospital who saw Storm and Jack have also contributed by allowing Young to make payments and offering to waive Storm's fees.
"We were willing to completely write off his whole debt for Storm, especially after realizing there may be something coming at us with Jack, so we did that, and I told the DAV that and they said 'No, we want to do our half, our part,' so we split the difference and they paid for half," said River City's office manager Deana Banks.
She said Young does his best to help out the community through his own volunteer work, but no one ever knows when he's the one who needs a hand.
"I think that's one of the most amazing parts of his story," Banks said. "Come to find out he's out there donating his time to the community and helping out when in reality, he could have used help himself. I think that's the most important thing to know about Marshall, who's out there pushing and helping. He’s a neat person; it's never about him. He's going to do the right thing for his pets."
Jack went in for surgery Tuesday. He and Young are in the thoughts of many in our community — a community Young is so thankful to have found.
“When I talk to other people about how they are about veterans out here, it’s not a joke," Young said. "It’s not a once or twice a year kind of thing. I’ve never seen a community that’s so veteran crazy. It’s wonderful to see."