.jpg)
When reading a list of top all-American dog breeds (breeds that were specifically cultivated in America), I happened across the story of a war hero: Sergeant Stubby, the American Staffordshire Bull Terrier. In a time when pit bulls hold a mostly negative image in our country, I think it’s good to look back at story that shows how wonderful they can actually be.
Sergeant Stubby was the most decorated dog of World War I and the only military dog to be promoted to sergeant through combat. It’s no surprise that dogs were taken into war zones then; we still do it now. But what, exactly, did this brave dog do to earn such accolades? It all started when he wandered onto a field in New Haven, CT, where a group of soldiers were training. That’s right, Sergeant Stubby was a stray.
The soldiers, including one in particular, Corporal Robert Conroy, grew fond of their guest. Conroy snuck Stubby onto his ship when the troops were leaving for deployment. Thus Stubby joined the 102nd infantry, 26th division in the trenches of France, for 18 months in a total of four offensives and 17 battles.
Just like we now know that no technology is better than a dog’s nose for sniffing out bombs, Stubby was able to make his own unique, and invaluable, contributions in combat. At first he just held it together in constant combat (something few dogs could do), keeping up the morale in the trench. When he was wounded he was sent to the rear to convalesce, proving just as useful in keeping up the spirits of the troops there.
But those aren’t Stubby’s most amazing contributions. After undergoing a mustard gas attack Stubby was from then on able to sense them coming and warn his regiment. He could also hear incoming artillery shells and was able to warn his fellow soldiers to seek cover. He located wounded soldiers in No Man’s Land and, at one point, caught a German Spy in the Argonne all by himself – as legend has it, by the seat of the spy’s pants.
After forces including Stubby’s unit retook the French town of Chateau-Thierry, the women of the town made him a coat on which they could pin all of his medals. Upon returning home Stubby met three presidents: Wilson, Coolidge, and Harding. He was made a lifetime member of the American Legion, Red Cross, and YMCA. He died in 1926, still at the side of his first known human friend, Corporal Conroy. A brick in his honor was included at the United States World War I monument in Kansas City, and his remains are at the Smithsonian.
One might question whether or not it was humane for Conroy to bring a dog into the trenches of The Great War. Sure, Stubby was a stray; it wasn’t like he was being taken from a safe or loving home, but the odds were that he’d have survived better or longer on the streets of Connecticut than the war zone of France. But I’m sure Conroy could have sent him back if it was ever necessary, and we know that Stubby was a vital member of his team.
Pit bulls may have a build and potential temperament for fighting, but that doesn’t automatically make them scary or monsters. They are at nature, just like any other dog, sweet, loving, and desperate to please their humans. They have within each of them the potential to be heroes, just like Sergeant Stubby.
Related Articles:
Make Reunions Happen: Be a Noble Foster
Shelters Overwhelmed with Fighting Dogs
Deceased Dog Granted Legal Status Beyond Property
*(This photo from the Wikimedia Commons is in the public domain and thus is free for use).
