Veteran, 94, befriends neighborhood dogs

TIVERTON, R.I. (WPRI) — Wallace “Wally” Gagnon is a father, grandfather, great-grandfather, Korean War veteran, former amateur boxer and avid golfer.

It’s safe to say the 94-year-old has experienced it all.

But his favorite way to pass the time is visiting his extended family — the neighborhood dogs.

Gagnon regularly rides his motorized tricycle throughout his Tiverton neighborhood, handing out treats to each and every pup he comes across.

And the dogs always know when their friend Wally is on his way.

“The dogs see me coming,” Gagnon said, adding that the dogs start barking as soon as they see his tricycle.

Gagnon was very candid while pondering what the dogs are likely saying every time he rolls up: “‘Hey! Give me my cookie!'”

He never rides alone. Gagnon’s wife typically walks alongside him.

“She remembers their names,” Gagnon said of the dogs. “I can’t remember.”

Gagnon’s life wasn’t always fun and games, especially back in 1951, when he was drafted into the U.S. Army and served in the Korean War.

“It was no picnic,” Gagnon recalled. “I was on the front lines for nine months.”

Gagnon, who served in the 27th Infantry Regiment, said he was tasked with tracking enemy rounds and directing troops where to fire.

“You’re on the front lines where everything is coming in,” Gagnon said. “We didn’t just stay in one spot. We had to move wherever they were getting shelled the most. They sent us to stop it.”

Gagnon admitted that he was terrified at times, and while he was proud to serve his country, he really didn’t have a choice.

“I was drafted, so I had to go,” Gagnon said. “It was scary … I had a couple of my buddies bite the dust.”

Gagnon also spent some time in the ring as an amateur boxer, but decided to call it quits after eight or 10 bouts.

“You’re getting smacked in the puss,” Gagnon chuckled. “It wasn’t fun.”

He eventually switched gears and took up golf instead. It was a hobby he kept for nearly 50 years.

“I was a fairly decent golfer,” Gagnon said. “I used to be very good at hitting a driver, right down the middle, and the guys always asked me, ‘Don’t you ever get sick of hitting the ball straight?'”

Though it’s been roughly three years since Gagnon has stepped foot on a golf course, he now feels as though he’s found a new purpose.

Gagnon has been visiting his furry friends ever since he moved to Tiverton nearly 10 years ago, and he has no intention of stopping anytime soon.

And when asked for his secret to living a long and happy life, his answer was simple.

“Eat meat and potatoes — and put vinegar on everything,” Gagnon said.