Sergeant Stubby
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Contents
Early life
Stubby, bull terrier mix (possibly with Boxer or Boston Terrier), was found as a stray at the age of several weeks on the Yale campus in 1917 by John Robert Conroy. When Conroy's unit shipped out to France, Stubby was smuggled aboard the USS Minnesota.Military service
Stubby served with the 102nd Infantry, 26th (Yankee) Division on the Western Front (World War I) in the trenches in France for 18 months and participated in four offensives and 17 battles. He was honored with many medals which he wore on a chamois coat that was made for him by the women of Château-Thierry. Stubby learned to warn his unit of poison gas attacks, located wounded soldiers in no man's land, and — since he could hear the whine of incoming shells before humans could — became very adept at letting his unit know when to duck for cover. He was even solely responsible for capturing a German spy. Stubby was wounded several times, and learned to approximate a salute.Later years at Georgetown
Stubby attended Georgetown University with John Robert Conroy from 1922-23 and became the Georgetown Hoyas' mascot while Conroy was there. Stubby passed away on March 16, 1926 in Conroy's arms.Stubby's medals and awards
At the very end of the war, Stubby met President Woodrow Wilson and shook his hand. After the war, Stubby became a celebrity and marched in many parades. In 1921 he was awarded a special gold medal by General John Pershing for service to his country.
- 3 Service Stripes
- Yankee Division YD Patch
- French Medal Battle of Verdun
- 1st Annual American Legion Convention Medal Minneapolis, Minnesota Nov 1919
- New Haven WW1 Veterans Medal
- Republic of France Grande War Medal
- St Mihiel Campaign Medal
- Wound stripe, replaced with Purple Heart when introduced in 1932
- Chateau Thierry Campaign Medal
- 6th Annual American Legion Convention
- Humane Education Society Gold Medal
Today
Stubby's remains were preserved and can be seen at the Smithsonian exhibit, The Price of Freedom: Americans at War.Stubby will be honored with a brick in the Walk of Honor at the United States World War I monument, Liberty Memorial, in Kansas City in a ceremony to be held on November 11, 2006.
See also
Sources
- The Hoya of Georgetown University, "[From Mascot to Military, Stubby Left Pawprints on Hilltop and Beyond]", November 4, 2003.
- Smithsonian Institution, "[The Price of Freedom: Americans at War -- Stubby]"
- Connecticut Military Department, "[Stubby the Military Dog]"
- History Wired, "Stubby," WW I Canine Hero 1921 [link]
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