<b>By Bob Sofaly</b>

Brian Rand was a Navy Seal who served 72 months in Vietnam from 1962-1967. In the middle of the night of Oct. 7, Rand’s home caught fire.

His dog Curly faced his own baptism by fire and woke Rand up by nudging him with his nose, allowing the Rand family to escape the burning house to safety.

On Tuesday, Nov. 19, Beaufort Mayor Billy Keysering and Beaufort Fire Chief Reece Bertholf presented Curly with a gold medal for bravery.