Editing San Carlos, California (section)

====War Dogs====
During World War II, not long after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the American Kennel Club and a new group calling itself "Dogs for Defense" mobilized dog owners across the country to donate quality animals to the Quartermaster Corps. Dogs donated by a patriotic public to the Army saved the lives of a number of soldiers in combat.<ref>U.S. Army Quartermaster Museum, Fort Lee, Virginia {{cite web |url=http://www.qmfound.com/K-9.htm |title=War Dogs |access-date=January 20, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130120012604/http://www.qmfound.com/K-9.htm |archive-date=January 20, 2013  }}</ref>

In October 1942, the US Army and “Dogs for Defense” came to San Carlos. The 178-acre site, at the top of today's Club and Crestview Drives, which was locally known as the H and H Ranch, was selected to become the US Army War Dog Reception and Training Center<ref name="images">Images of America – San Carlos by Nicholas A. Veronico & Betty S. Veronico, Arcadia Publishing</ref> (also known as Western Remount Area Reception and Training Center). It was established between October 15, 1942, and November 7, 1942.

The first enlisted men for the army post were temporarily housed in the San Carlos Fire Station (located on Laurel Street between San Carlos Ave. and Holly St.) from December 15 to 28, 1942. Each dog handler was given four dogs to train, and at the end of the course, the trainer selected the best one and shipped out.<ref name="images"/> Dogs were trained for sentry, attack, scout, and messenger roles, and later to detect mines. 1,200 dogs could be accommodated at any one time.

The first army dog platoon to go overseas in the Pacific was the 25th Quartermaster Corps War Dog Platoon, under the command of 1st Lt. Bruce D. Walker. When they left San Carlos, on May 11, 1944, none of the handlers knew what their final destination would be. They left via San Francisco aboard the [[Liberty ship]] SS&nbsp;''John Isaacson'' for assignments in the Pacific Theatre.<ref>{{cite book|title=War Dogs: A History of Loyalty and Heroism|last=Lemish|first=Michael G.|publisher=Brassey’s Inc.}}</ref>

The facility closed in October 1944,<ref name="images"/> with approximately 4,500 dogs going through the facility during the war.