“Hachi, my friend, Parker is never coming home. But if Hachiko wants to wait, then Hachiko should wait. You want to wait for him, don’t you? Have a long life, Hachi.” Hachi is one of the most heart breaking movies of all time. It’s a story whose owner dies of a heart stroke. But his dog waits to pick him up from the station every night for 9 years till the dog’s own death. If you have watched the movie, you have bawled at it as well.
Todays’ story is also about loyalty but it’s the other way round. While serving in the US Air Force, Sargeant Kyle Smith met his mate, a German Shepherd named Bodza. Bodza had been a bomb detector since 2006 and had saved countless human lives by locating bombs. Smith didn’t start working with Bodza until 2012, and the two quickly became friends.
They worked together on several missions throughout the years. When Bodza had to retire from Air Force, Sargeant Smith adopted him. He proudly grins, “I took him home the same day.” Wow, that must be some life. I would like to adopt my best friends but my mom says they are bad influences.
Smith exclaims that Bodza was even cuter at home. He would follow the Sargeant around the house. And say goodnight every single night. They were inseparable at this point. It was a happy life until something sad entered their lives. In the summer of 2016, Bodza was diagnosed with degenerative myelopathy. This disease affects a dog’s spine and has no cure. Damn it! Medical sciences, what are you guys doing?
Smith said, “His [Bodza’s] hind limbs lost their use and he could barely stand up anymore, much less walk. He couldn’t handle the stress on his body, and using the restroom was a task.” We can only imagine the pain Smith went through.
Then came the final choice. Smith chose to end his beloved Bodza’s pain. He had no option but to put Bodza down. Bodza was taken to the Fort Bliss Vet Clinic in El Paso, Texas, by Kyle and nine of his coworkers. To honor Bozda’s years in the Air Force, they all wore their uniforms. They wrapped him in a blanket and he took his last breath in his owner’s arms.
“I was holding Bodza as he passed,” Smith recalls with deep remorse. “It was a rush of so many things. It was just overwhelming.” Thankfully, his colleagues were there for him. He wept like a baby (and so am I right now).
Smith says, “My boss immediately went and grabbed a flag, and draped it over him [Bodza] and let me have a final moment” Smith wants to remind everyone only of the happy memories Bidza left to the world. He was loyal, selfless, and a worthy friend.
We thank Bozda for his service to the nation and hope he is in a better place now.
