Commems Collection Modern: What If? 2022 Conan - Military Working Dog

Last November, during the waning days of the 118th US Congress, US President Joe Biden signed the Working Dog commemorative coin program into law - the Gold Half Eagles, Silver Dollars and Copper-Nickel (CuNi) Clad Half Dollars of the program are slated for release in 2027. The program will support America's VetDogs, an organization that provides former military dogs to those who are disabled and/or injured to support healing and daily activities. (You can read more about it here: 2025 Working Dog - Possible? #01.)

A related predecessor to the bill was introduced in the House of Representatives during the 116th Congress by Steve Watkins (R-KS). Watkins' bill sought to commemorate Conan, a military working dog of the US Special Operations Forces.

For background, the bill included a "Findings" section:

"Congress finds that--

"(1) Conan, a Belgian Malinois, has worked with the United States Special Operations Forces for four years and has taken part in approximately 50 missions;

"(2) Conan served the United States courageously on October 26, 2019, in northwestern Syria, during a dangerous and daring nighttime raid that resulted in the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the world's most violent terror organization, ISIS;

"(3) with skill, determination, and bravery, Conan chased Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi into a dead-end tunnel where the ISIS leader ignited his suicide vest, killing himself and his three children;

"(4) the heroic actions of Conan were critical to the success of the mission of the United States to kill the world's most wanted terrorist;

"(5) Conan sacrificed physical well-being and sustained injuries for the success of the mission and in doing so, not a single American soldier was injured during the operation; and

(6) Conan is an American hero that has made the world a better and safer place."

Watkins' bill called for the striking of up to 100,000 Gold Half Eagles and up to 350,000 Silver Dollars; each was to be struck/available in Proof and Uncirculated versions. The coins were to depict Conan, based on the Department of Defense photograph of the dog:

Conan - Military Dog

(Image Credit: US Department of Defense, Public domain.)

The issue price of each of the coins was to include a surcharge - $35 on the Gold Half Eagles, $10 on the Silver Dollars. Collected surcharges were to be paid to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs "for the purpose of providing additional funds to the service dog veterinary health benefit."

The bill was referred to the House Committee on Financial Services, but never went further. When the 116th Congress ended in January 2021, the opportunity for Watkins' bill to pass ended along with it. Watkins was a single-term Representative, but his proposal was moved forward, in a revised format via the expanded, more broad-intentioned and privately-sponsored "Working Dog Commemorative" coin proposal introduced by Patrick McHenry (R-NC) in the 117th Congress. Though unsuccessful in the 117th, the bill was re-introduced in the 118th Congress, where it found success (See: 2025 Working Dog - Possible? #01.)

IMO, the broader scope of the Working Dog coin proposals was an improvement over the recognition of a single dog as proposed by the Conan coin bill. There are (have been) thousands of Military Working Dogs (MWDs) in the US military, deployed around the world, and I think it is better to recognize that scope vs. the individual actions of a single dog.


For other of my posts about commemorative coins and medals, including more What If? commemorative coin stories, see: Commems Collection.