Stubby was found wandering the grounds of Yale Field in New Haven, Connecticutwhile a group of soldiers were training. He became the first dog to be given rank in the United States Armed Forces. One unique hero, however, walked on all fours! As the German ran, Stubby bit him on the legs, causing the soldier to trip and fall. One unique hero, however, walked on all fours! He made history by becoming the first US dog to be given a rank - Sergeant Stubby. The true story of a stray dog who joins his new master on the battlefields of the First World War. We do need to find ways to help prevent history from being lost, particularly as new generations come and go. Sergeant Stubby (July 21, 1916 – March 16, 1926), has been called the most decorated war dog of World War I and the only dog to be nominated for rank and then promoted to sergeant through combat, a claim for which there is no official documentary evidence, but is recognized in connection with an exhibition at the Smithsonian Institution. The story goes that upon discovery by Conroy's commanding officer, Stubby saluted him as he had been trained to in camp, and the commanding officer was so impressed that he allowed the dog to stay on board. These heroes came from all walks of life. Courtesy of Division of Armed Forces/Smithsonian National Museum of America History. Here are some interesting things to know about this four-legged hero. Sergeant Stubby – Our First American ‘War Dog” No one knows where Stubby was born or even his pedigree for sure. Although the US military didn’t yet have an official ‘military working dog’ programme, Stubby’s instincts and charm made him a firm favourite with the men of  the regiment, who taught him how to raise his paw ‘in salute’. He accompanied them to France in 1917 and served with them in their battles, hardships, sorrows, and joys. There seems to be a problem, please try again. Courtesy of Division of Armed Forces/Smithsonian National Museum of America History. As recently as 2006, Stubby was honored as part of a World War I monument in Kansas City. He continued to attack the man until the U.S. soldiers arrived. Sergeant Stubby (c1916–1926) was an American dog who served as the mascot of America’s 102nd Infantry Regiment during the First World War. Sergeant Stubby was a dog, born in America during 1916 or 1917 when the war was already going on. When he was a puppy in 1917, Stubby was wandering around the fields of Yale University. You will shortly receive a receipt for your purchase via email. Directed by Richard Lanni. But he was no ordinary stray: just a few years later – following the end of the First World War – the tenacious canine had become known as the most decorated dog in American history. Stubby went on to become a very brave soldier and won a lot of medals before he reached the age of two.6. Sergeant Stubby wearing his uniform and medals. When it came time for the outfit to ship out, Conroy hid Stubby on boar… In 1917, a stray puppy wandered around the fields of Yale University where soldiers prepared to fight in World War I. In 1916 or 1917, Stubby showed up at Yale Field in New Haven, Connecticut, while a group of soldiers were training. It was a real challenge, but we tried to be as sensitive as possible. In April 1918, during a raid to take Schieprey, Stubby was wounded in the foreleg by the retreating Germans throwing hand grenades. Find out more about the Sergeant Stubby movie here, This article was first published on History Extra in September 2018, Save a huge 50% off a subscription to your favourite history magazine. [2][3][4] Stubby was found wandering the grounds of Yale Field in New Haven, Connecticut while a group of soldiers were training. Truth vs. fiction about the famous WWI war dog. Nobody knows exactly when Stubby was born, but he was found in Connecticut in the United States of America when he wandered across an army training session in 1917. Sergeant Stubby was the most decorated war dog of World War I and the only dog to be promoted to sergeant. You can unsubscribe at any time. Remembering the First World War: blood, poppies and poetry, 7 things you (probably) didn’t know about America’s entry and involvement in the First World War. One of the men, a 25-year-old private named Robert Conroy, took a shining to the young dog and began to take care of him, naming him ‘Stubby’ for his stature and tail. As I was reading the book, I got the impression that the real horror of the war was happening ‘off camera’. Stubby died of old age in 1926, and Conroy held him in his arms until the dog had taken his last breath. The dog’s fortunes changed in July 1917 when he began hanging around a group of soldiers, members of the 102nd Infantry Regiment, as they trained in the grounds of Yale University. Stubby and Robert Conroy Connecticut State Library 1918 to 1919 While overseas, Stubby saw action in 17 different battles and received critical wounds during a chemical attack. 1. For Stubby, he happened to wander on to a Yale field where young Private J. Robert Conroy was training for World War I. Rachel Dinning is the Digital Editorial Assistant at History Extra. The incident was later relayed in Stubby’s half-page obituary in the New York Times: “In the Chemin des Dames, Stubby captured a German spy and saved a doughboy [slang for a United States infantryman] from a gas attack. Back home his exploits were front page news of every major newspaper. Save 50% on a BBC History Magazine or BBC History Revealed subscription Sergeant Stubby (c1916–1926) was an American dog who served as the mascot of America’s 102nd Infantry Regiment during the First World War. 1. 2. Sergeant Stubby is a mix of a Boston Round Head, American Bull Terrier, and a Boston Bull Terrier. When he recovered from his wounds, Stubby returned to the trenches. Sgt. I realised immediately that Stubby was a fantastic potential conduit to bring history alive to children: he was an amazingly inspirational character for a little dog, and children relate to animals. After being gassed himself, 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 artillery shells before humans could — became very adept at letting his unit know when to duck for cover. One of Stubby’s greatest recorded achievements occurred late one night on the western front. The official website for BBC History Magazine, BBC History Revealed and BBC World Histories Magazine, Save 50% on a BBC History Magazine or BBC History Revealed subscription. Sergeant Stubby An article by Emily Thompson 20th October 2017 • 3 min read. The descendants of Robert Conroy (Stubby's inseparable companion) tell the real story. The crowds loved seeing him on the field. The officer was reportedly rendered speechless by the gesture, and the incident secured Stubby’s place as the official mascot of the Yankee division. His sharp ears and ability to hear the whine of artillery shells before they landed were extremely useful, and Stubby was particularly helpful in locating wounded soldiers in no man’s land. A mutt, suspected to be either a Bull Terrier or Boston Terrier, Stubby was a stray at Yale University when he was adopted by a soldier drilling as part of the 102nd Infantry in 1917. For capturing an enemy spy, Stubby was put in for a promotion to the rank of sergeant by the commander of the 102nd Infantry. Sergeant Stubby, was born in America during 1916 or 1917 when the war was already going on. Stubby was found while wandering the campus Yale University in Connecticut while the 102nd Infantry was training. “Does every generation have to prove itself in Britain?” Kavita Puri on the experiences of South Asians in Britain. Thanks! The battlefields of World War I were the scene of much heroism. These heroes came from all walks of life. He was present for four offensives and 17 battles in total, serving for around 18 months. Stubby was an amazing opportunity to bring some of the realities of history to children in an age-appropriate way. Stubby went on to become a very brave soldier and won a lot of medals before he reached the age of two.6. Hearing a sound in the stillness of the night, the dog, who guarded sleeplessly, stole out of the trenches and recognized–a German. Later, Stubby was injured during a grenade attack, receiving a large amount of … Sergeant Stubby and J. Robert Conroy, March 1919. Stubby came on to be a very brave soldier and won a lot of medals before the age of two. Was the 1990s a golden age for British South Asians? By entering your details, you are agreeing to HistoryExtra terms and conditions and privacy policy. Born in 1916, Sargent Stubby served for 18 months and participated in seventeen battles on the Western Front. On July 6, 1921, a curious gathering took place at the State, War, and Navy Building on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington. Following the war, Stubby returned home to America. A: The problem we faced was this: how do we tell a family film about one of the worst events in modern history? Although Sergeant Stubby was eventually bedecked in military medals and beloved by Americans, his start in life was far from glamorous. Stubby’s story remained relatively untold until recently, when he was immortalised in a new animated film. Many people don’t know that much about the war, particularly in America where people were perhaps less directly affected compared to those in Europe. Died Washington, D.C., 1926. Born New Haven, Connecticut, circa 1916. Sergeant Stubby. After returning home, Stubby became a celebrity and marched in, and normally led, many parades across the country. He was honoured with a medal for heroism from the Humane Education Society – an animal protection organisation – and met with presidents Woodrow Wilson, Calvin Coolidge and Warren G Harding. Robert Conroy enrolled in Georgetown Law School in 1921, and Stubby became mascot of the football team. Featuring the voices of Helena Bonham Carter and Gérard Depardieu, Sgt Stubby recounts Stubby’s heroic journey from a stray on the streets to becoming the most decorated dog in military history. The obituary (in full here) was given a great deal more column space than many other notable people of the time. Stubby’s heroism in the face of extreme danger caused a sensation. He was born on July 21st 1916. It is unknown exactly when Sergeant Stubby was born, but he was a Pit bull breed. He also helped free a French town from the Germans. Sergeant Stubby, was born in America during 1916 or 1917 when the war was already going on. Born in 1916, Sargent Stubby served for 18 months and participated in seventeen battles on the Western Front.During World War I, this dog was the official mascot of the 102nd Infantry Regiment and was assigned to the 26th (Yankee) Division.He was so popular that his actions were well-documented in contemporary American newspapers. When was Sergeant Stubby born? I look at audience comments from our US viewers, for example, and they say that children wanted to know more about the First World War after watching the film. Thank you for subscribing to HistoryExtra, you now have unlimited access. If you subscribe to BBC History Magazine Print or Digital Editions then you can unlock 10 years’ worth of archived history material fully searchable by Topic, Location, Period and Person. The answer came in the book Once There Was a War, a collection of articles by John Steinbeck, who was a war correspondent during the Second World War. He entered combat on February 5, 1918 at Chemin des Dames, north of Soissons, and was under constant fire, day and night for over a month. Today I found out about Sergeant Stubby, the most decorated war dog of WWI.. Whether he met George Patton [the famed US military commander who led troops in the First and Second World War] is up for debate, but we do know they were once in the same place at the same time. Stubby, according to vintage articles from his time (linked below in "references") and this 1921 one in particular, was noted to be a Boston Bull Terrier,[1] which is the old term for the Boston Terrier breed. In 1916 or 1917, Stubby showed up at Yale Field in New Haven, Connecticut, while a group of soldiers were training. I think that Stubby – in his own little way – can really play a part in stopping people from forgetting. The soldier called to Stubby, who put his ears back and began to bark. [6], Articles with dead external links from November 2014, Articles incorporating text from Wikipedia, Collection of the Smithsonian Institution, Military history of the United States during World War I, Smithsonian - "The Price of Freedom" exhibition, http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85042462/1910-01-02/ed-1/seq-49.pdf, http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85066387/1911-08-20/ed-1/seq-14.pdf, http://amhistory.si.edu/militaryhistory/exhibition/flash.html?path=8.1.r_15, http://www.armymuseum.nl/legermuseum.en/legermuseum.en/i000466.html, "The Price of Freedom: Americans at War – Stubby", http://americanhistory.si.edu/militaryhistory/collection/object.asp?ID=15, http://www.ct.gov/mil/cwp/view.asp?a=1351&q=257892, http://historywired.si.edu/detail.cfm?ID=519, "Canine soldiers earn accolades: Exhibit extols virtues of WWI’s Sgt. [5] Stubby served with the 102nd Infantry, 26th (Yankee) Division in the trenches in France for 18 months and participated in four offensives and 17 battles. Sgt. But on the whole, most of the elements relating to Stubby are true. Seizing his prisoner by the breeches, Stubby held on until help arrived.”. He met Presidents Woodrow Wilson, Calvin Coolidge, and Warren G. Harding. America Enters WW1 Sgt. Like most dogs of his breed Stubby was fairly small. It is unknown exactly when Sergeant Stubby was born, but he was a Pit bull breed. Stubby went on to become a very brave soldier and won a lot of medals before he reached the age of two. Once he recovered, his newly heightened sensitivity gave him the ability to detect incoming attacks and alert his brothers-in-arms. Attempts by the German to deceive the dog were futile. Stubby — who was believed to be a Pit Bull mix — was the most decorated war dog in U.S. history. A: Most of the film – I’d say 90 per cent of it – is based on real events. Source: Wikipedia/Public Domain Conroy brought Stubby back to the camp, leaving food out for him and letting him slip in the barracks and although pets weren’t allowed, Stubby provided a … The Beginning. Stubby: An Unlikely Hero, Fun Academy Motion Pictures brings the early 20 th century back to life for audiences of all ages to enjoy. Stubby and Robert Conroy Connecticut State Library 1918 to 1919 While overseas, Stubby saw action in 17 different battles and received critical wounds during a chemical attack. Sergeant Stubby was a dog, born in America in about 1916 when the war was already going on. Until 1917 it is thought that he wandered the streets of New Haven, Connecticut scrounging for scraps of food. Sergeant Stubby, was born in America during 1916 or 1917 when the war was already going on. Home » History » Sergeant Stubby. Private Robert J. Conroy was undergoing military training in the area at the time, and found the little dog with a short tail who he decided to name Stubby.