A Brave Man

Dogs!

Mike Ritland, a Navy SEAL combatant, has always fascinated dogs, and that is what caused him to train them for war. As a young teen, he adopted a dog in which he named Bud, a black Labrador. Bud was always there for him and soon enough, they became best friends. At school, he would be sometimes bullied, when he was alone. One time, he was at a hallway when a group of dark-skinned boys saw him. A few days earlier, a white man had murdered a black man because of his color, so that's why these boys beat him up. Mike Ritland was brave and decided not to give up, instead he found himself training in a dojo. He practiced and practiced so that accident would never happen again. After training, he would always walk with Bud and spend time with him. Bud was always loyal to him and would make a perfect bond. Both of Mike's grandfathers served in World War II and he soon became obsessed with their stories. He then fascinated the idea of becoming a U.S. Navy SEAL team member to help his nation. In time, the idea of becoming a SEAL member  had grown larger and he wasn't ready to give up. He took a test called BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL) and passed it for his country and dog. He did not know what will depict his future and what dangers he will face. 

       "Because of my grandfathers and also because of my father's influence, I was raised to believe that you should be proud to be and American and that you can do a lot more than just express that pride verbally"(Ritland, 16)

This quote can be applied globally. It means so much in just a few words that it just blew me away. Being proud of who you are and what you can do to show that is fascinating. I think soldiers do that the most. Being proud of their country, who they are, and especially what they do to show that is certainly a very brave thing. I think this quote is the best in the book yet and I'm anxious to see what happens next. 

                                   

"At this point I had no idea that my love of dogs and desire to serve my country would someday have a much tighter, more life-changing connection than that" (Ritland, 19)

What Ritland does is really brave and doing that for dogs is just way better. Dogs are one of the best things I've found in life and they're just great. They are always there for you, they would give their life for you, and they are extremely smart. Dogs can be useful in a lot of ways, and having a connection with one that is so great, is just amazing. I fascinate Mike's ability to bond with dogs and wish that I could be like that.

Conclusion

Navy SEAL Dogs is a promising book so far and I hope that Bud's future is good. Mike is just a great and appealing person and I bet he is better in real life. His connection to dogs just surprises me and he really cares about them. I think that one of his greatest traits is his will of fire. He never gives up and does his best for what he believes in. I'm excited to see what happens to that will and how it improves or gets worse. 

 (Mike Ritland with a dog)