On December 6, 2010, 20-year-old Marine Corps Private First Class Colton W. Rusk was shot by the Taliban during firefight in Afghanistan and died. He not only left behind a loving family, but also his beloved military working dog, Eli. In the touching video below, the family of the fallen hero meets Eli, and then proudly adopts him into their family for good.
In 2011, Staff Sgt. Jessy Eslick presented Eli, then a 4-year-old black Labrador retriever, to Rusk's family during an informal “leashing ceremony.” So beautiful. So bittersweet.
The room fell silent as Rusk's mom, dad and brothers met and tearfully hugged Eli. Kathy said it felt as though she brought a piece of her son back with her, who was always so excited to talk about the pup who slept beside him in his cot every single night.
According to fellow Marines, Eli stayed by Rusk's side during the battle that ultimately killed him, and crawled on top of his body to shield him.
At the time of his adoption, officials said Eli was only the third military dog adopted by its handler or handler's family.
“I know that Colton passed his love on to this dog, and that's why he's so loving,” Kathy said. “He'll just be one of us, part of the family.”
Watch the incredible adoption below, and please SHARE this video with your friends on Facebook.
