Col. Kloss was selected as the first recipient of a puppy through our Operation Puppies for Soldiers Program.

A little background on how we came up with the name of our Puppy.  There is nothing better on a warm summer night than a Lienekugels Summer Shandy beer, so with this being said the wife and I have great pleasure in drinking these all summer.  So Little Miss Sunshine aka Shandy is doing very well in the homestead of the Gimpel's.  She is fits in very well with her older brother Loki (a yellow lab) and all of the daycare kids that are around our home.  She has a very good temperment with the daycare kids crawling on her and grabbing some fur.  Shandy has gotten on many pheasants and is not gun shy so we are looking forward to a great fall grouse season.

Shandy was part of 'Puppy' Surprise during our 2nd Annual Operation Upland Pheasant Hunt on Saturday, March 27, 2010 and out of the JJ Kruchek - Kruchek Retrievers Line. 

1 Lt. Eric Swenson of the MN 34th Inf. Red Bulls received Cody during Operation Upland Pheasant Hunt on March 27, 2010 & Cody is out the JJ Kruchek - Kruchek Retriever Line - St. James, Minnesota. {Cody was sponsored by Dan Rathman}

Since OUPH 2010 - 1LT Swenson and Cody have returned and guided for fellow soldiers during Operation Upland Pheasant Hunt. Currently 1LT Swenson is deployed for another TOD.

Dixie lives in Esko, Minnesota. Dixie was united with Tom during our 2nd Annual Operation Upland Pheasant Hunt on Saturday, March 27, 2010.

Dixie is out of the JJ Kruchek - Kruchek Retrievers - St. James, Minnesota. 

Daniel had to give up his spot during our 2nd Annual Operation Upland Pheasant Hunt on 
Saturday, March 27, 2010 as he was activated to the Red River Valley to assist with Flood Rescue efforts. When I heard the disappointment in Dan's voice as he was also one of the men that had written a letter in 'hope' of receiving 'Little Dude' - I just knew we couldn't leave him empty handed.

The only issue was - after OUPH, it seemed like the well went dry on available Black Lab puppies. We decided to go with this Hybrid Chocolate Labrador/German Short Hair out of Henderson, MN. 'Rocco' was born on Easter Sunday and was united with his new Dad just a few days before Memorial Weekend.

The Vatter family, Matt, Cris and son Sam, were united with their new puppy on Sunday, December 19, 2010 at Scheels in River Hills Mall in Mankato. Vatter and another Minnesota National Guard soldier were selected to receive the puppies after they wrote letters explaining why they could provide a good home.

Sam, 5-years-old, quickly named his dog Pete, after a dog in the song “Sic ’em on a chicken” by the
Zac Brown Band. Pete is a willful puppy, and stands his ground as Sam tries to take him for that walk.

Pete was donated by JJ Kruchek of Kruchek Retrievers out of St. James, MN 

Operation Puppy 'Holiday' Surprise was on Sunday, December 19th at Scheels in Mankato, MN. Thank you to Scheels for hosting this surprise and for donating a gift card as well to SportDOG, Petmate, Nutri Source, and Mud River Dog Products for donating merchandise for Pete. OPHS was filmed by Women of the Wild Outdoors TV. <This recent photo of Pete and Matt was taken during OUPH 2011>

Spc. Dan Barber of the Minnesota National Guard holds his puppy, Pat, after being surprised Sunday, December 19, 2010 with the 12-week-old black lab. He had been told he was joining the other soldiers who had written letters about why they wanted a puppy, and was surprised to actually receive one. The 20-something remembers the black lab he had as a teenager, and is already planning hunts with the puppy he’s holding for the first time. He’s named the 12-week-old black lab Pat after General George S. Patton, best known as a World War II commander.

Pat was donated by JJ Kruchek of Kruchek Retrievers out of St. James, Minnesota

Operation Puppy 'Holiday' Surprise was on Sunday, December 19, 2010 at Scheels in Mankato, MN. Thank you to Scheels for hosting the surprise and donating a gift card as well to SportDOG, Petmate, Nutri Source and Mud River Dog Products for donating merchandise for Pat. OPHS was filmed by Women of the Wild Outdoors TV.

SSgt. Jonathan Ries was united with his little girl 'Kona'...an AKC Chocolate Labrador donated by
Val & Theresa Miller from Le Sueur, MN in April of  2011 following our 3rd Annual Operation Upland Pheasant Hunt.

OSCS Robert Hed of Plymouth, MN has served 26-years in the US Navy and returned home from another Tour of Duty in Iraq in early 2011. On Friday, June 4, 2011, OSCS Hed was united with his new puppy (7-week old Hybrid AKC Chocolate Labrador/German Shorthair Pointer) during Operation Puppies for Soldiers at the Scheels store in St. Cloud, MN. Thank you to Scheels; Women of the Wild Outdoors TV; Mud River Dog Products; Nutri-Source; Pet Mate & SportDOG Brand for your continued SUPPORT.

NARMY is out of the Howard Weckworth line of Hybrid Retirevers - Arlington, MN. The Sire is a AKC German Shorthair Pointer & the Dam is a AKC Chocolate Labrador. NArmy & Avery are siblings of Rocco (Puppy #6) 

NARMY was purchased & donated by SCPF #125

Specialist James Borgardt of Belle Plaine was our 12th Minnesota Soldier to be united with a puppy. James has fought on the front lines in Iraq and has been with the US Army for 3 years. He is finished up his tenure with the US Army at Fort Riley, Kansas before heading back to MN (July 2012) to become a part of the Minnesota National Guard. James was united with 8-week old 'Avery' at Scheels in Mankato, MN on June 10, 2012. Avery is the brother to NARMY 'Puppy #11' and sibling of Rocco 'Puppy #6' out of the Howard Weckworth line of Hybrid Retrievers out of Arlington, MN.

Avery was purchased and donated by Scott County Pheasants Forever #125

James along with Avery received gear from Scheels; Women of the Wild Outdoors TV; Mud River Dog Products; Nutri-Source; Pet Mate & SportDOG Brand and we cannot thank them enough for their continued SUPPORT.

To whom it may concern, Finding this site was like an answer to prayers was Sue Tschida's message to us in regards to our Puppies for Soldiers Program. Sue's husband, Chief Petty Officer Mike Tschida, was deployed to Kuwait May 2011 with the United States Coast Guard.  When he left, they experienced many crisis'. Not long after leaving for duty, Sue had to put down their two English Setters of 14 1/2 years due to cancerous tumor and old age. This was a very difficult time for her, their sons ages 20 and 21 and most of all her husband.  They were his hunting buddies, friends and family members.  It was especially hard for him since he was not there to say goodbye.

Just like Pup #13... Max's new mom Carrie also wanted to surprise her husband, Sgt. Anthony Friedlund of New Prague, MN. Carrie shared that Anthony has been in the Army Reserves since he has been 17-years old (as of 3/24/12 - he is 26) and recently deployed to Iraq in 2010. He has drill once a month and has always been telling me how he wished he had a dog so he could do more hunting with it and be outdoors. Carrie shared that having a puppy would mean the world to him, it would give him that free time to be out with his dog and enjoy the outdoors hunting with his best friend.
Tony is a outdoorsmen all the way, deer hunting in the fall and fishing in the summertime. My husband would be so shocked if this would be one of those once in a lifetime things I could surprise him with.

...and SHOCKED he was! Sgt. Freidlund also took part in our 4th Annual Operation Upland Pheasant Hunt & Sporting Clay Shoot for our returning Minnesota Soldiers on March 24, 2012. During our lunch program we surprised Anthony with his new pup and we couldn't leave Carrie and Kody out of the surprise...they were present as well.

10-week old Max was donated by JJ Kruchek Retrievers out of St. James, MN

Anthony 'Tony' along with Max also received gear from Scheels; Mud River Dog Products; Nutri-Source; Pet Mate & SportDOG Brand and we cannot thank them enough for their continued SUPPORT.