Nonprofit ‘Mutts With A Mission’ names service dog in honor of WWII veteran

Alexa Daly
·2 min read

NAS PENSACOLA, Fla. (WKRG) — Every Tuesday, World War II Veteran Lieutenant Commander Clyde “Cash” Barber can be found sharing his knowledge at the Naval Air Station Museum aboard NAS Pensacola.

Crowds stop to take in the wisdom the 99-year-old veteran has to share as he recalls flying the PBY Catalina aircraft.

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“I love that I’m able to be here and tell those stories,” Barber said. “There’s just not many of us left in that category.”

A special guest accompanied him on Tuesday.

“This is Catalina,” Mutts with a Mission’s Jen Pollard said. “She is named after Clyde ‘Cash’ Barber, who flew the PBY Catalina.”

Catalina is a service dog in training with the nonprofit organization, Mutts With A Mission.

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Their dogs assist veterans and first responders with mobility, and physical and mental needs.

Each month, Barber has generously donated to the organization.

“There’s veterans out there waiting for their dogs,” Barber said. “It’s like they change their lives.”

To honor him, the organization wanted to name the puppy Cash or Barber, but he humbly declined.

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“He says ‘It’s not about it’s about me it’s about all of us,'” Pollard said. “I really love that about Cash, and he said ‘How about you name it after my beloved Catalina airplane?'”

Barber said he hopes to be in touch with the person Catalina will assist after she completes her training.

As for the almost 100-year-old veteran, he said he never wants to miss a Tuesday at the Naval Air Station Museum.

“I have many, many pretty fascinating stories, and they’re anxious to hear them, so it’s always a blessing for me,” Barber said.

Any veteran or first responder who needs a service dog can apply through Mutts With A Mission.

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