The holiday season is about giving and sharing.  What better way than to give the gift of life, which is what one special military dog, Lucca, did for countless people serving in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars?  The Marine Corps League in Tuscaloosa gave her a Purple Heart plaque; a two-time Purple Heart Marine recipient gave her one of his Purple Heart ribbons; the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Fairfax, Virginia gave her an honorary position; and other groups celebrated her and her service. This is the story of two heroes, one male and one female, one four-legged, and her handler, Chris Willingham, who came to prominence in the book Top Dog, by Maria Goodavage. Chris and Lucca first met in Israel in 2006.  He was one of four Marines sent over to participate in the elite Israeli Oketz K-9 group, from which the Marines would return with the dog they trained.  What struck him the most was the time and effort put into training both the handler and the dog. ...(Read Full Article)