Dan recalled the events 30 years later (in a 1/30/01 e-mail) as follows:

"It was 30 years ago today that Prince 74x1 was blown up in an ambush. He realistically saved an entire platoon on that day. We were in an NVA basecamp and couldn't get out, but had their bunkers for our protection. It took until 8Feb71 for us to get out of it. We tried every day and were hit every day. They finally brought lots of help from outside to get us out. Prince made it possible for us to not lose a single life, even though there were some injuries after he was killed when we tried to move out. An amazing dog he was and a great job he did. 30 years and Prince still lives, at least in my memories."

Bob Altieri was the infantry platoon leader during this incident and described the following in a 07/31/01 e-mail to this web site:

"I was the platoon leader of 3d platoon Charlie Company, 2d Battalion 501st Infantry, 101st Airborne on the day Tupper describes in his diary. I was 5 feet behind Tupper when Prince was blown away by a mortar round signaling the start of an ambush. I am eternally grateful that Prince sacrificed his life by tripping that round. Otherwise, I and the rest of the lead element of my platoon would have walked into a well staged ambush. That day is my most vivid memory of Viet Nam."

Walter R Murley (Ronnie) who served with C Co 2/501st 101st, signed the Platoon Guestbook on 11/11/2007 and wrote the following:

"Just want to say thanks to all the handlers and let you know how much difference you made during the war. Jan . It was my turn to walk point but we had Dan Tupper and his dog Prince with us, we walked into an ambush and because of Prince they blew the ambush early Prince was killed but all of 3rd platoon made it. I was talking to Don Jestes in DC Sat and told him I was planning on posting this.Thanks Dan you did make a difference, I am forever grateful."

This incident is documented in the March 15, 1971 issue of the Screaming Eagle.

*red-dot mission defined (Steve Lemish):
   "The last part of April 71 or the first week in May, a map was found (we heard it was on a dead enemy). It was determined to be an area near Hue out in the jungle. It had red dots on it and the first two grunt units sent to the "red dots" hit very big enemy caches. I remember one was an underground hospital. They also found all the trails leading to the "red dots" were heavily booby trapped, so they decided to take a scout dog to each of the remaining ones. There were approximately seven total. To my knowledge, all the scout dogs came from the 47th.

On or about the first of May the first scout dog went out to a red dot and was killed. I believe it was a guy only known to me as J.D., a guy from Texas. We received news the second was injured, but not to what extent, when I was packing up Duke for the chopper for the third red dot. I don't remember if I ever found out what was at the third red dot, but I think another dog was injured while I was in Saigon waiting on Duke in the hospital."

Steve was assigned to Scout Dog Lobo X958 during Duke's recovery time. Steve's Lobo recollection:

"Lobo was a very cool dog. Everyone thought he had wolf in him... By the time I got him, he could see out of one eye only. He was also an intense and very predictable dog-fighter. He always had an attitude, but then so did his handler."

(e-mail from Lewis Paventy's wife to Bill Sawyer, Dug's first handler with the 47th, dated 4/15/06):

"My husband was in NAM 70-71.
My husband was leading a platoon down a downhill trail. There was an intersecting uphill trail at a right angle that couldn't be seen. Dug was off leash and as soon as he allerted an ambush took off up that right trail. There was shooting and then an explosion went off down that trail. Later my husband went up to see what happened to Dug and he had been shot in the chest before the blast had gone off. My husband burried him and booby-trapped the grave. Dug saved everyone in the platoon: No wounded and No dead. Dug was the only casualty. According to my husband, he was the best dog in his platoon. A few days later my husband found out that they were close to an underground hospital.

I hope this gives you peace of mind that Dug was not left behind, did not suffer was a true hero."

Sgt. Stevens was sent to the 95th Evac. and from there to Japan. Once he left Japan he was sent to the hospital in Ft. Gordon and when released he finished his duty at the MP Dog School.