Michael’s life was already full of stories worth telling. The Vietnam veteran had seen and lived through a lot. But nothing quite prepared him for the moment he met Heinz.

“I missed the German Shepherd that I had for nine years,” he shares, “who had passed away nine months earlier.”

After months of grieving and wondering what was next, Michael felt a nudge. A gentle push toward something, or someone, new.

“I’m not sure why,” he reflects. “Maybe providence.”

You had me at hello

In June 2024—the same day Michael was approved into our program—he walked into KC Campus for Animal Care. Since 2013 the shelter offers a 30 percent discount to our heroes adopting eligible dogs and cats.

It was on that day that the Vietnam veteran met Heinz, a two year-old red and white Husky mix with striking blue eyes. One glance was all it took for Michael to know that Heinz was the one for him.

“Looking into those blue eyes just warms my heart,” he says.

The Army veteran made the adoption official and brought the once unwanted pup home.

In time Heinz would prove that he was more than a four-legged friend. He became Michael’s companion, his energy boost, his reason to get out and walk every day even when his aging body did not feel up to the task.

“He is a four year-old red and white Siberian Husky who keeps me active,” he says. “That’s something I need at 77 years old.”

A soldier’s journey

Michael’s story of service began with a letter from the President of the United States.

“I received a letter from President Lyndon Johnson, dated August 4, 1967, that said: ‘Greetings: You are hereby ordered for induction into the Armed Forces of the United States,'” he recalls. “I reported August 30, 1967, as the letter said, and served until my discharge on April 7, 1969.”

Michael was barely 20 years old. Yet he trained for combat and served in Vietnam during one of the most turbulent years of American history.

“I was assigned to the 6th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment on Jan 16, 1968 to train for service in Vietnam,” he recalls. “Our 1,100-man battalion arrived in Vietnam April 4, 1968, the day Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, and we were assigned to the 9th Infantry Division.”

A grueling several months of combat followed. They would make the boy barely out of his teens into the man he is today.

“Our unit was mostly stationed within 50 miles of Saigon,” he explains. “After eight months of combat I was assigned to the 95th Military Police Battalion at Long Bien, Vietnam.”

Recognition and reality

Michael was honored for his valor in combat, but the moment did not go as expected.

“When I was awarded the Army Commendation Medal for valor, the general told us all that these medals were given to us by the President of the United States and could not be taken from us.”

This medal is awarded for acts of heroism in armed conflict with enemy forces.

Michael was rightly proud of his service. Like many of his fellow soldiers he had to grow up in a hurry, and was thrust into one of the most brutal wars in our nation’s history. But this Vietnam veteran’s moment of recognition did not last long.

“However, immediately after the presentation ceremony at Nha Be, Vietnam in September 1968, our sergeant major told us to all give the medals back because they didn’t have enough supply for every soldier who had earned a medal to receive one,” he recalls, “and there was to be another presentation ceremony tomorrow for all those soldiers who were still on a mission.”

Two weeks later the medal Michael earned was returned to him. It remains with him ever since.

Life after war

Returning home meant starting over and reintegrating to civilian life.

Separating from service remains a challenge for many veterans. Yet it was particularly difficult for those who served in Vietnam. Public sentiment was overwhelmingly against the war. Tragically, those feelings extended to the service members as well, the vast majority of whom were enlisted to fight.

Recent research finds that many Vietnam combat veterans live with psychological and physical challenges for decades.

But just as Michael’s battalion arrived in Vietnam on a momentous day, so too did his homecoming have special meaning.

“After being discharged I returned to Oklahoma City, on April 8, 1969. Coincidentally, the same day the Kansas City Royals played their first ever baseball game.”

Since he was a boy Michael has loved sports, and is an avid fan of his hometown teams.

The Vietnam veteran now lives in Kansas City, where he settled into retirement after a long and respected career in public service and banking. Watching sports on TV is one of his favorite pastimes.

“I’m a Kansas City Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys, Oklahoma State Cowboys, Kansas City Royals, Boston Red Sox, and Celtics fan,” he rattles off with pride.

Michael’s passion for sports began with his father, who took his then young son to some of the most storied games in sports history.

“My dad took me to my first college football game—Notre Dame at Oklahoma—when I was 10 years old,” he shares, “and I have been a Notre Dame fan since then.”

And what a game it was that decades later Michael still marvels at the final score.

“Notre Dame defeated Oklahoma University seven-zero that day,” he recalls, “ending Oklahoma’s 47 game winning streak.”

A dog named Heinz

As of this writing it is a little more than one year since Michael and Heinz were adopted. The handsome dog with stunning blue eyes did not just find a place in Michael’s home—he filled a deeper need.

Huskies are typically high energy dogs, and Heinz is no exception. Every day he gets Michael outside to move, connect with other people, to remind him that there is still a lot of life to live.

When Michael reflects upon adopting Heinz through Pets for Patriots he sees all of the positive changes in both of their lives. Heinz went from homeless to home, with someone totally devoted to his happiness and wellbeing.

And Michael—a Vietnam veteran long denied a proper homecoming—has an unconditionally loving dog to welcome him home every time he walks through his front door.

This is the power of companion pet adoption.

“It can be a life changer,” Michael says, “or saver.”

Want to create more adoption success stories? Learn more about how you can support hero-pet adoptions through Pets for Patriots.