Throughout military history, animals have gone to war alongside humans. Millions of horses, mules and donkeys died in World War I, as they carried the soldiers and artillery ammunition to the battle fields of Europe. “There was a great love and loyalty between the soldiers and the animals they worked with,” said registrar Toni M. Kiser, who created the exhibit “Loyal Force: Animals at War” at the National World War II Museum. During World War II, nearly 3,000 horses, provided by the Army Quartermaster Corps, enabled the shore patrol to cover more ground. “The U.S. Coast Guard used more horses than any other branch of the U.S. Military during WWII.” Most supplies and a great deal of artillery were still horse-drawn, and a mounted infantry squadron patrolled about six miles in front of every German infantry division. “These mounted patrol troops were referred to as the ‘eyes and ears of their units.’”

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