March 23, 2022 – Sergeant Stubby

In honor of National Puppy Day today, we’re talking about an amazing dog and war hero named Sergeant Stubby! He was the unofficial mascot of the 102nd Infantry Regiment, assigned to the 26th Division in World War I.  Stubby was a Boston Terrier, found wandering around the campus of Yale University in July of 1917, when members of the 102nd were training there. He hung around the men as they went through their drills, and one soldier in particular, Corporal James Conroy, became very fond of him. When it came time for the troop to be deployed, Conroy smuggled Stubby aboard the ship and hid him under his jacket when they got off in France. When his commanding officer discovered him, Stubby saluted as he had been trained to do, and the officer allowed him to stay.
Stubby was with the 102nd Infantry Regiment in the trenches in France for 18 months, and he was in 4 offensives and 17 battles! He was wounded in one of his front legs during a raid in April 1918. He was sent to the rear for rehabilitation, and just as he had on the front lines, he improved the morale of all the other men who were also recovering.
In his first year, Stubby was also injured by mustard gas. He returned with a special gas mask designed to protect him on the battle field. He learned how to warn his unit of mustard gas attacks, and locate wounded soldiers in no man’s land. And, because he could hear the whine of artillery shells before humans could, he became very good at alerting the unit about incoming attacks and to duck for cover. He was also responsible for capturing a German spy, which caused the commander to nominate Stubby for the rank of sergeant.
When Stubby and Corporal Conroy returned home, he became somewhat of a celebrity. He marched in many parades across the country and even met 3 presidents! He was also the mascot for the Georgetown Hoyas football team for a time.
Stubby died in his sleep in 1926, and received a half page obituary in the New York Times. He was taxidermied and later presented to the Smithsonian. Stubby is now part of the permanent collection at the National Museum of American History. Learn more here.