THE INCREDIBLE STORY OF LUCCA, THE EXPLOSIVE- DETECTING DOG WHO SAVED LIVES
Sometimes, dogs are more than just a man’s best friend — they are heroes. When the Israel Defense Forces brought Chris Willingham, a Marine specializing in training military dogs, a small German shepherd and Belgian Malinois mix puppy in 2006, he knew she was special. Willingham named her Lucca, and in 2008, the pair deployed for their first tour in Iraq, where they spent countless hours together searching for improvised explosive devices or IEDs. When Lucca smelled a bomb, she’d lie down and wait for Willingham, an action they repeated so many times that the pair seemed to read each other’s minds. In fact, the duo became so successful that when platoons suspected they were heading into especially dangerous territory, they requested the team by name.
that the Marines were restationing him at the Marine Security Guard School. But before he had to leave, he was allowed to choose a new handler for Lucca. Willingham chose Corporal Juan Rodriguez, whom he sensed was the perfect match for Lucca. And he was right. Lucca and Rodriguez picked up where she and Willingham left off until one day in 2012. The pair were four hours into their patrol in southern Afghanistan when Lucca located her second IED of the day. However, when she moved closer to the device to lie down — it exploded. Rodriguez quickly ran to Lucca, where he discovered she had lost one of her front paws in the explosion. He applied first aid, a tourniquet, and called for a medevac, never leaving her side. She had suffered burns to her neck and torso, and doctors had to amputate her front left leg. However, in less than a month, Lucca was back to running around with the same spirit as before her injury but was now retired from her day job. She was reunited with Willingham and lived the rest of her days with him and his family peacefully until her passing in 2018. Lucca led more than 400 patrols during three combat tours in her career. She found 40 confirmed insurgents and countless explosives, and she never had a single human casualty during her six years of service.
After returning from their second tour in Iraq, Willingham received orders
TAKE A BREAK
One-Bowl Pumpkin Muffins Inspired by NoraCooks.com
Ingredients
• 15 oz can pumpkin purée • 1/3 cup melted butter (or vegetable oil) • 1/2 cup unsweetened plant- based milk • 1 1/4 cups brown sugar
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour • 1 tbsp baking powder • 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Prepare muffin pan by greasing and placing paper liners. 2. In a large mixing bowl, add pumpkin, melted butter (or oil), milk, and brown sugar, then whisk until well combined and smooth. With a sifter, sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and spices over the wet mixture. 3. Using a large wooden spoon, mix until just combined (do not over-mix). 4. Fill the muffin cups and bake for 22–25 minutes. Let cool for 30 minutes and enjoy!
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