Book Review
From Baghdad with Love
By LT. COL. JAY LOPELMAN with MELINDA ROTH Reviewed by PEGGY BARNETT
An appealing puppy, a brave Marine, danger for both - how could we ask for a better book topic? The cover picture alone will win you over.

The First Battalion, Third Marines, were known as the Lava Dogs. So of course the little puppy that they found in a building they searched in Fallujah, Iraq, was named "Lava." "Just being a Lava Dog didn't shield you from a grenade's fancy special effects. Being careful did. Being focused did. Having your weapon locked and loaded when you inched around every corner died."

During the dreadful and dangerous days in that war-torn country, they had learned to follow the rules. They should have thrown a grenade into that room first, to clear out any lingering enemies. "Instead, for reasons still obscured by war and fear and things just destined to be," they approached the unusual clicking, snuffling noises with great caution and without firing. The puppy cocked his head, yipped, and wagged his tail, joyful to have been found.

So what are you going to do? Put him out in the street, execute him, let him starve in the corner? "Not me, man, no way!" When their Lt. Colonel bunks in with the group that night, the puppy cleverly chooses his boots to sleep on, and he is safe. That was in 2004.

The rest of the story is about Jay Kopelman's agonizing search for a way to get Lava out of Iraq, while at the same time, he's fighting a war. It seems that "General Order 1-A is taken pretty seriously by the military. No pets allowed." No one wants to talk about what will happen to Lava when his Marine friends leave, or if he is discovered by less sympathetic officers.

Kopelman decides to take Lava with them when they leave Fallujah for the main base. It's harder there to keep Lava out of sight (and sound), but they manage. Then he begins in earnest his effort to find a way out for his dog. The story, though scary, is heartwarming. Anne Garrels, a war correspondent for National Public Radio, looks after Lava for a while, and puts herself in increased danger attempting to help in his escape.

Handlers of the bomb-sniffing dogs would like to help, but do not see how they can. The military veterinarians are restricted by that General Order and probably cannot help even with the required vaccinations that Lava would need to enter the United States, even if he can leave Iraq. Kopelman turns to the Internet and finds that he is not the only soldier trying to rescue a dog. Things look very gloomy.

But don't despair. This is not a gloomy book, though we sentimentalists may shed a few tears.

From Baghdad, With Love is available at the Mary Willis Library.

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