Vocabulary Words Ravine A) “No help could reach us down in this rocky ravine, exposed to sniper fire from all sides.” - page 2 B) A ditch on the side of the road C) A small narrow steep-sided valley that is larger than a gully and smaller than a canyon. D) The raven was stuck in the ravine because its wing was injured. Shrapnel A) “I had to get him to safety, no matter how much my chest ached and my muscles burned, no matter the risk of stepping on a bomb or how much blood I was losing from the shrapnel wound in my leg.” - page 3 B) Debris from an explosion C) Bomb, mine or shell fragments. D) The tree is missing a lot of bark because the shrapnel from the explosion hit the tree. Gratitude A) “I gave Gunny a look of gratitude.” - page 34 B) Thankfulness C) The state of being grateful, thankfulness. D) The man at the store showed gratitude to me by saying “thank you” when I held the door open for him and his son.

Vocabulary Words (continued) Summoned A) ““Dempsey Wempsy, summoned by the Colonel.” “– page 168 B) Being called C) Issued a call to convene. D) My mom summoned my sister and me to the living room so we can take our laundry up to our rooms. Sentimental A) “The Marine Corps wasn’t a sentimental bunch.” - page 168 B) Has meaning to you. C) Marked or governed by feelings, sensibility or emotional idolism. D) My trophies and medals are sentimental to me because I have worked really hard to earn them. Unison “He charged, leaping over ruts in the dirt, front and back legs working in unison, zigzagging across the sand.” – page 175 Something done together At the same time. The front and back tires of the truck worked in unison because the driver put the truck in four-wheel drive to go through the rocks.

Text Connection Have you ever heard the saying “a dog is man’s best friend”? Most of us have a best friend and sometimes they are not human. In my text connection I will compare my book “Dog Tags Semper Fido”, and the real military and civilian working dogs. One of the main characters in my book is Loki a marine working dog. There are many things that Loki and the real life working dogs have in common. They sniff out explosives like bombs. The dogs locate people if they are lost or they are running from the law. They are also used to sniff out drugs. Both Loki and the real life working dogs are extremely loyal to their handler.

Summary Do you have a friend that you would trust with your life? If you do, you are like SGT. Gus Dempsey except he has his life in his friend’s paws. This is a fictional story based on fact. The protagonists are Loki, a Marine working dog, and SGT. Gus Dempsey, a United States Marine. The antagonists are the Taliban fighters in Afghanistan. The story in this book takes place at Outpost Eliopoulos in the mountains of Afghanistan. As members of the United States Marine Corps SGT Dempsey and Loki are fighting in the war. They are never separated from each other. They are also part of a Marine unit that they work with. “Dog Tags” Is about Loki and Gus Dempsey who go to Out Post Eliopoulos to sniff out bombs and search for criminals. They are usually at outpost Eliopoulos but occasionally they go out on special missions. Loki and SGT Dempsey depend on each other to live. The author talks a lot about the special abilities of the working dogs. At the end of the book Loki disobeys orders and chases a suicide bomber and SGT Dempsey runs after Loki. Loki chases the suicide bomber into a cave and the suicide bomber detonates the explosives which are on him but Loki jumps in front of SGT Dempsey and saves him after the explosion they are both injured but alive. The life lesson in “Dog Tags Semper Fido” is that trust and loyalty can be found together.