Don’t forget America’s four-legged ‘military vets’

Give a Veterans Day salute on Nov. 11 to all who served, including “war dogs” like Sgt. Stubby. He wasn’t the first military canine, but he is a legendary hero in American military history.

Stubby earned his stripes in World War I. His story has been documented by the National Museum of American History at The Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. Stubby, a brindle and white mixed-breed terrier, became the most decorated working dog of WW I.

“While training for combat on the fields of Yale University in New Haven, Conn., in 1917, Army Pvt. J. Robert Conroy found a stray puppy with a short tail. Pvt. Conroy named the dog ‘Stubby.’”

The dog learned to respond to the bugle calls, how to march and how to salute – placing his right paw on his right eyebrow. “Stubby had a positive effect on morale. When the division shipped out for France, Pvt. Conroy smuggled Stubby aboard…hidden in the coal bin,” the Smithsonian archivist reported. “Stubby became the official mascot of the 102nd Infantry, reaching the front lines on Feb. 5, 1918.”

“Stubby soon became accustomed to the loud rifles and heavy artillery fire. His first battle injury occurred from gas exposure; he was taken to a nearby field hospital and nursed back to health. The injury left him sensitive to the tiniest trace of gas. When the division was attacked in an early morning gas launch, most of the troops were asleep. Stubby recognized the gas and ran through the trench barking and biting at the soldiers, rousing them to sound the gas alarm, saving many from injury.”

Rachel Dinning of HistoryExtra, a website based in London, England, said Stubby’s “sharp ears and ability to hear the whine of artillery shells before they landed were extremely useful. He was present for four offensives and 17 battles in total.”

“One of Stubby’s greatest achievements occurred late one night on the Western Front.” Details were shared in Stubby’s lengthy obituary in the New York Times on April 4, 1926.’”

“Hearing a sound in the stillness of the night, the dog, who guarded sleeplessly, stole out of the trenches and recognized – a German. Attempts by the German to deceive the dog were futile. Seizing his prisoner by the breeches, Stubby held on until help arrived.”

“For his efforts that night, Stubby was issued the Iron Cross medal that the German spy had been wearing.” U.S. Gen. John Joseph Pershing, commander of the American Expeditionary Forces on the Western Front, reportedly promoted Stubby to the rank of sergeant, for his varied valorous actions.

The dog’s famous embroidered chamois vest was a gift from the French women of Château-Thierry, who were thankful for Stubby’s assistance during the liberation of their city.

Following the war, Stubby returned home to America with his adopted master, who had also been advanced in rank…to corporal. J. Robert Conroy enrolled in law school at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and Stubby accepted the position as the official sports mascot.

Sgt. Stubby basked in the war hero’s spotlight, feted by several U.S. presidents and awarded lifetime membership in the American Red Cross and the American Legion. The ultimate, dagnabbit recognition, however, came from the YMCA, which promised him “three bones a day.”

Stubby was 10 years old when he died in Conroy’s arms in 1926. Stubby’s body was prepared by a taxidermist and adorned with his vest of many medals. Today, Sgt. Stubby is the centerpiece of The Smithsonian exhibit titled “The Price of Freedom: Americans at War.”

Conroy went on to earn his law degree, and he had an illustrious career working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He died in New Britain, Conn., in 1987, at age 95.

His descendants were responsible for the erection and dedication in 2018 of a bronze statue named “Stubby Salutes” in Veteran’s Memorial Park in Middletown, Conn., located about midway between New Haven and Hartford.

The sculptor is Susan Bahary of Sausalito, Calif., who has work on view around the world. Stubby is depicted in his uniform vest “standing at attention with right paw raised in salute and left paw extended in friendship.”

Bahary said that Sgt. Stubby’s “contributions to our military, along with his loyalty and bravery, are symbolic of all the wonderful working dogs that protect us and service animals that benefit and enrich our lives today.”