00:00:00.000,00:00:03.000 Captions by www.SubPLY.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . 00:00:04.240,00:00:07.760 Today Now! 00:00:07.980,00:00:09.780 We have some sad news coming out of Iraq this morning, 00:00:10.050,00:00:11.290 where military officials are announcing, 00:00:11.510,00:00:14.280 the death of Liberty, the US Army's Mascot, 00:00:14.520,00:00:16.390 killed by a road side bomb. 00:00:16.850,00:00:19.620 The big, lovable dog, became a national celebrity 00:00:19.860,00:00:24.300 when he deployed in 2003 to raise the spirit of our soldiers overseas. 00:00:24.560,00:00:27.360 Right. Whether riling up soldiers involved in a long fire fight, 00:00:27.790,00:00:31.640 or just adding a little humor to a midnight raid on a terrorist hide out, 00:00:31.870,00:00:35.410 Liberty's floppy ears and goofy grin always made us laugh 00:00:35.580,00:00:37.570 amid the harsh images of war. 00:00:37.670,00:00:39.780 He was truly the nation's top dog. 00:00:40.150,00:00:42.720 More that 500,000 Americans voted for Liberty 00:00:43.050,00:00:44.750 in the online mascot selection contest 00:00:45.090,00:00:46.430 sponsored by the DOD. 00:00:46.780,00:00:49.620 Yes, this freedom loving canine won out in the final runoff 00:00:49.860,00:00:53.500 edging out brigadier Baboon, D'Angelo the Streetwise Elk, 00:00:53.730,00:00:55.570 who was a technological specialist, 00:00:55.800,00:00:57.270 and Private First Class Jeffrey Bison. 00:00:57.500,00:00:59.670 After his first tour ended in 2004 00:01:00.060,00:01:01.970 Liberty was redeployed with a new mission 00:01:02.310,00:01:04.050 to put a positive spin on the conflict 00:01:04.250,00:01:07.150 and improve the flagging public image of the war at home. 00:01:07.380,00:01:08.550 Right, and here today now, 00:01:08.750,00:01:11.190 we'll never forget our studio visit from Liberty 00:01:11.420,00:01:12.860 when he was on his nation-wide tour 00:01:13.190,00:01:14.680 right after the Abu Ghraib scandal. 00:01:14.890,00:01:17.860 So now, despite all these allegations, you're here to remind us that our soldiers 00:01:18.260,00:01:21.320 are doing their dog-on best over their in Iraq. Right? 00:01:22.540,00:01:23.410 Yeah. 00:01:24.870,00:01:26.110 As the war moved into it's fourth year 00:01:26.510,00:01:28.450 Liberty's mission was refocused again 00:01:29.010,00:01:31.110 to cheering up Iraqis and creating goodwill 00:01:31.350,00:01:33.030 between waring Shiites and Sunnis. 00:01:33.180,00:01:36.450 Now, we did see a little less of the big lovable dog in 2006 00:01:36.590,00:01:38.460 after the Pentagon cut his funding, 00:01:38.590,00:01:41.160 but Liberty persevered, apparently creating his own website 00:01:41.490,00:01:44.310 where he asked his fans back home to help him out 00:01:44.410,00:01:47.500 and send him ammunition for his trademark marshmallow gun. 00:01:47.990,00:01:50.770 And then, yesterday his career ended in heroics. 00:01:51.170,00:01:53.740 When doing a cartwheel he accidentally tripped 00:01:53.910,00:01:55.650 on an improvised explosive device. 00:01:56.480,00:01:58.550 Liberty will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery 00:01:58.880,00:01:59.510 tomorrow morning. 00:01:59.710,00:02:02.850 Liberty was posthumanusly awarded a giant foam replica 00:02:03.120,00:02:04.450 of the Congressional Medal of Honor. 00:02:04.890,00:02:05.620 He'll be missed. 00:02:06.660,00:02:07.670 Liberty 2003-2009 00:02:08.060,00:02:09.300 One Patriotic puppy 00:02:09.660,00:02:10.490 Still ahead this hour... 00:02:11.460,00:02:16.770 suicide prevented by video of kittens riding Roomba.