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A Soldier and His Squirrel Return from Duty

A charming Veteran's Day story we found online tells of a soldier who nursed an ailing squirrel during his military service and took it home, where it claims the dash of his taxi.

As Veteran's Day stories go, this one beats all for quirky and sweet. It is not local but it won our hearts after we found it on Facebook, where it linked back to MSN.com, which linked back to SodaHead.com.

Our photos are actually not THE squirrel in question, just cute babies from stories of yore. But click on the links to see the slideshow of the officer and his squirrel. Our favorites are #4, 6 and #11. 

From the MSN.com story:

"Soldiers are known for being tough as nails, but when this fellow in the Belarusian army found a sick squirrel under a tree, his inner softie came out. Warrant officer Pyotr Pankratau discovered the tiny creature unconscious and barely alive. Taking him back to the base, the officer fed him milk from a syringe every four hours. After two weeks, the little guy began to pep up and ended up staying on the base with Pankratau for the next two years. When they were released, the officer took his furry right-hand man, whom he'd named "Minsk," with him and the two now drive a taxi cab together. Scroll through the gallery above to see photos of the adoreable pair."

(Belarus is an Eastern European country bordered by Russia to the northeast).

Did you take any fun photos over the weekend? Post them here and have a nice Monday, from all of us at Patch.

Nancy Wride (Editor) November 12, 2012 at 08:12 pm
I have grown up watching squirrels in the San Bernardino Forest, yet before today I had no idea how cute they are as newborns. Check out the slideshow for your feel-good charge of the day.-Nancy
Melodi Major November 13, 2012 at 12:57 pm
Nice to wake up to a smile. Thanks for the story.

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Share something with your neighbors. Write a new post... What's up? Make an announcement, speak your mind, or sell something
Nancy Wride (Editor) June 17, 2013 at 01:40 pm
Hi Mark. I'll see if I can find out. Roughly what time and nearest landmark if any?
Nancy Wride (Editor) June 3, 2013 at 12:49 pm
Love it! Thanks to our new bloggers. :D
Should he be teaching your children?
Mike Ruehle June 3, 2013 at 01:36 pm
Prior to his election as a write-in candidate, Councilman Patrick O'Donnell told the Long BeachRead More Business Journal on February 28, 2012 the following:***** LBBJ: If you win the reelection, will you commit to a full four-year term?***** Councilman O'Donnell: If you run for four, you serve four. ***** LBBJ: So, you're not going to run for Assembly in two years? ***** O'Donnell: Correct. ***** LBBJ: No matter what? ***** O'Donnell: Correct. If you run for four, you serve four. ***** If you can't trust O'Donnell's word, why would anyone vote for him to be their representative for political office? ***** http://www.lbreport.com/news/jan13/odonlbbj.htm
Nancy Wride (Editor) June 3, 2013 at 02:22 pm
And do his supporters care about this, do you think? No doubt others will.
Mike Ruehle June 3, 2013 at 11:43 pm
Regarding, "do O'Donnell's supporters care?", many of O'Donnell's supporters are inRead More elected and appointed public positions, and their support of O'Donnell includes placing the financial burden of a $150,000 special election on the taxpayers. I would think that a responsible journalist would ask each of them about that issue.
This is what the new path will look like.
Richard May 31, 2013 at 10:54 am
This opinion piece is so full of self-serving hot air it could float. Two paths will make the beachRead More look like a freeway? The author clearly hasn't seen too many freeways lately. Speaking of seeing, if the author would care to spend a little time looking at the beach (which I do on a daily basis, as I live overlooking the Bluff) they would realize that the current bike/pedestrian path is the most heavily used and enjoyed segment of the beach from the Belmont Pier to Shoreline Village. On any given day, there will be hundreds of people on the paths, compared with a handful on the sand itself. The author inadvertently makes that point when he or she writes that the beach "...should be valued for its own recreational value." Clearly, many more people enjoy walking, running or bicycling on the path than on the beach itself. Give the people what they want, and not what a mysterious, nameless, faceless group is trying to block.
Shore Resident June 3, 2013 at 08:37 am
Uh, Richard? Opinion pieces are by nature self-serving and one sided. I'm not saying that is agreeRead More with the opinion, just saying that gordana can have her say.