Sgt. Stubby might not have looked very ferocious, but that didn’t stop this canine warrior from playing an outsized role in the conflicts that battered and surged in the trenches of World War I. A small, rather snub-nosed dog, with a coat the color of dirty dishwater, Stubby looked much like the multitude of stray dogs that creep in and out of city alleys. But he was not like those other dogs.
In 1917, the United States had just entered the war that had been blazing in Europe for three years already. The United States was gathering and training troops from around the country for deployment to France. The U.S. military didn’t boast the firepower, training, and budget we see today; it was not yet the feared and respected behemoth of the 21st century. At the time of America’s entrance into the war, it possessed about 127,500 men in its standing army. The troops were equipped with few machine guns, few planes, few trucks, no tanks, and no heavy artillery. So large numbers of men needed to be trained and steeled for battle and America threw its industrial might behind the war to produce weaponry.
Sgt. Stubby wearing military uniform and decorations, circa 1918 to 1921. The 9-year-old canine veteran went through World War I as a mascot for the 102nd Infantry, 26th Division and visited the White House to call on President Coolidge. Public Domain
War Dog
Among the troops being trained in 1917 was the 102nd Infantry Regiment of the 26th Yankee Division. These soldiers were training on the grounds of Yale University when a little stray dog wandered into camp. He befriended members of the company, especially Pvt. J. Robert Conroy. The short-tailed dog of uncertain breed, possibly some kind of terrier, became a part of the soldiers’ lives and even learned the bugle calls, drills, and a modified dog salute in which he placed his right paw on his right eyebrow. The camp had a no-animals policy, but because “Stubby”—as the soldiers named him—boosted morale, he was permitted to stay. The regiment adopted him as their unofficial mascot.
Pershing awarding Sgt. Stubby with a medal, as Robert Conroy, wearing suit, stands behind them, 1921. Library of Congress. Public Domain
But then the real tests began. In October of 1917, Stubby’s unit shipped out for France, and he accompanied them, thanks to Pvt. Conroy, who smuggled the dog on board the SS Minnesota. Once in France, Stubby couldn’t avoid detection for long. But when Pvt. Conroy’s commanding officer discovered Stubby, he was won over by the canine soldier’s salute and permitted him to stay. The Yankee Division soon marched for the front lines, and Stubby received special orders that authorized him to go along as the unit’s mascot. In the trenches, Stubby courageously bore up under the loud rumble, clatter, and roar of rifles and artillery.
Danger hovered everywhere on the front lines, and Stubby was injured by exposure to a gas attack early on. He was taken to a nearby hospital where he recovered. From that time on, however, Stubby possessed an acute sensitivity to the smell of gas, and he warned his fellow soldiers when a gas attack was imminent by barking and biting the groggy men, rousing them in time. In this way, he saved many men from serious injury.
Stubby saw major action in the April 1918 raid on Schieprey, during which he was again injured. The fresh-faced American Expeditionary Force proved their prowess in this attack, forcing the Germans out of the town. But the fleeing Germans threw grenades at the Americans, one of which injured Stubby in the foreleg. Stubby again spent time in a field hospital, and, once he was himself healed, he visited wounded soldiers and improved their morale.
Miss Louise Johnson and Stubby in a parade on May 13, 1921. Library of Congress. Public Domain
But the tiny soldier’s service was far from over, and his most glorious deeds still awaited him. Back on the front lines, Stubby distinguished himself by locating wounded men in the blackened, hardened hellscape of no-man’s-land. His sharp ears detected the moans and cries of lost or immobilized men, and he would rush to their sides. He would either lead them back to safety himself or bark loudly until medics hastened to the scene.
The moment of Stubby’s most gleaming, single-handed (or pawed) heroism occurred toward the end of the war. The dog encountered a soldier near the Allied trenches dressed in an American uniform, apparently just another comrade-in-arms. But Stubby knew something was off. He knew this man didn’t belong there. Though the soldier called out to Stubby, the dog flattened his ears and began to bark at the man, who turned and ran, the indomitable Stubby streaking after him. Stubby caught up with the fleeing soldier and bit him on the legs—hard. The man tripped and fell, and under Stubby’s continued attacks, he remained immobilized until several soldiers appeared. The U.S. troops took the beleaguered man into custody where they dug up his true identity: He was a German spy, mapping out Allied trenches. Stubby’s espionage work earned him a promotion to the rank of sergeant. He was the first dog to reach the rank.
All told, Sgt. Stubby served for 18 months and participated in 17 battles, accumulating numerous medals and awards, including three service stripes, the French Medal Battle of Verdun, Republic of France Grande War Medal, the First Annual American Legion Convention Medal, and the Purple Heart. He also received a medal from the Humane Society, presented by the commander of the American Expeditionary Force, Gen. John Pershing.
After the war, Stubby lived as a celebrity. He participated in many military parades, received the adulation of the press, held membership in the Red Cross and YMCA, and met with three different U.S. presidents. His owner Conroy enrolled in law school at Georgetown University and there Stubby became a mascot for a second time: this time for the school’s athletics teams.
The laurels of victory proved a comfortable dog bed for Stubby in his later years. The YMCA provided Stubby with a place to sleep and three bones per day for the remainder of his life. What more could a dog wish? Stubby died on March 16, 1926, aged approximately 10 years old. His remains were preserved and can be seen on display at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.
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Walker Larson
Author
Prior to becoming a freelance journalist and culture writer, Walker Larson taught literature and history at a private academy in Wisconsin, where he resides with his wife and daughter. He holds a master's in English literature and language, and his writing has appeared in The Hemingway Review, Intellectual Takeout, and his Substack, The Hazelnut. He is also the author of two novels, "Hologram" and "Song of Spheres."
