Thomas and Rocky

While serving with the U.S. Marine Corps from July 1973 to June of 1975, Lance Corporal Thomas Manley was deployed to both Vietnam and Cambodia where he assisted with the evacuations of the U.S. embassies in those countries.

In June 2016, the Chicagoland Chapter of Pets for Vets matched Thomas with a Ridgeback-Hound mix named Rocky Balboa. The two couldn’t be happier together. "Rocky is my buddy - he's playful and energetic and he very quickly made friends with all of my neighbors," says Thomas. "He enjoyed the tetherball he received in his backpack and was proud to show me when he quickly wore it down to just the cord!"