Having seen the remarkable job canine athletes have done around the world in recent conflicts, one cannot but be struck by their service and dedication. But which “war dog” is allegedly the most decorated?
Once you know this you can win a few free drinks in local watering holes. “Stubby” participated in four offensives and 17 battles in 18 months of service in World War I. Stubby went on to be awarded the rank of Sergeant. You can find photos of Stubby online. They will stun you when you see the breed and his size. So, who was this dog and how did he get to the battlefields?
It is thought Sergeant Stubby was born in Connecticut in 1916 and lived for a decade. He began service as the mascot of America’s 102nd Infantry Regiment that was training on the grounds of Yale University. Accounts at the time indicate he may have been a stray in the New Haven area that sort of wedded himself to the young men preparing for time on a troop ship followed by brutal combat.
Stubby was stowed away on a ship to France by a soldier, Robert Conroy, who was 25 at the time. I was recently going through some of my father’s old photos from service in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. He always looked for a stray dog wandering around somewhere that needed a companion as much as he did. For some reason, my dad always had an extraordinary affinity for canine companionship.
Such dogs are not the highly expensive, highly trained war dogs we see today. These were strays who were food motivated because they were starving to find scraps otherwise. GIs always had some portion of their rations they didn’t like and would give it up to the dogs like Stubby.
Proper nutrition? Nope, for neither man nor beast. Still, most survived.
Stubby got his name for his small size and weird corkscrew tail. Stubby, it seems, was a small statured, smooth-coated cross likely between a Boston terrier and a rat terrier. Of course, hanging around a bunch of young soldiers meant everyone was trying to teach the overly friendly Stubby tricks. One trick may have saved his life.
It is said that when the commanding officer found out Stubby was aboard ship, he went to see Conroy for an explanation. Upon seeing the dog, Stubby raised up on his hind legs and waved his dominant foreleg in a rough manner of saluting. It was enough to flummox the commander and prevent Stubby from being tossed overboard. Like most dogs that end up with GIs or in this case, doughboys, they soon begin to provide much more than companionship. Usually, such dogs become chief security sentinels for the unit. Their nose, eyes, and ears are potent sensors for enemy activity.
That leads us to Stubby’s most famous service in the trenches on the Western Front. One night, he detected a German soldier attempting to approach the Allied trenches. In the past, he had saved the regiment from a gas attack alerting the soldiers at night. This time, Stubby sprang into action, barking loudly and attacking the totally surprised enemy soldier.
As is common for the terrier group, Stubby jumped up and latched onto the German’s butt and pants and held on, out of reach, for dear life. The noise awakened the GIs and they captured the German.
This event and much more on what was the most decorated dog in American history at the time, was described in his very large New York Times obituary in 1926.
Powell is the retired public information officer for Washington State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. This column reflects his thoughts and no longer represents WSU. For questions or concerns about animals you’d like to read about, email charliepowell74@gmail.com.
