Throughout military history, dogs have played many roles on and off the battlefield. From being ordered into battle alongside soldiers in ancient Greece to sentry guards in the twentieth century world wars, dogs have a long and distinguished military pedigree. March 13 is the National K9 Veterans Day when the contributions of dogs to the US military are officially recognized and celebrated. It commemorates the day in 1942 that marks the official birthday of the Army K9 Corps.
Following the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, the American Kennel Association and an advocacy group Dogs for Defense began lobbying American families to donate healthy and capable dogs to the Quartermaster Corp of the U.S. Army. In that first year, 1,800 dog teams were trained to patrol the coastline for German and Japanese submarines. In a patriotic act after the Japanese invasion, families sent their dogs to join the Army’s first K9 Corps in 1942 to perform vital roles in protecting the country.
A painting of Stubby the war dog by Charles Ayer Whipple, on display at the West Haven Veterans Museum West Haven, Conn
We are proud of our work here at New Life K9s to send specially trained dogs home to new families to be of service to veterans and first responders, forging another link in the patriotic chain of K9 service. Our specially trained dogs aid in safeguarding the wellbeing of veterans and first responders experiencing PTSD.
Dogs are drawn to soldiers, and soldiers are drawn to dogs. Here at New Life K9s on National K9 Veterans Day, we are celebrating the role dogs play in active duty and also back at home with our returned warriors. One dog in particular captures the moxie and passion for the work we do here at New Life K9s. Please meet Sgt. Stubby, WWI hero and lifetime friend to Corporal J. Robert Conroy.
In 1917, the 102nd Infantry was in training at Camp Yale when a short brindle terrier mutt wandered into the encampment and befriended the soldiers. When the unit shipped out for France that fall, “Stubby” was smuggled aboard the troop ship S.S. Minnesota in an overcoat and began his service in the 102nd.
While overseas, Stubby gave soldiers early warning of artillery, gas, and infantry attacks. During a raid against German defenses, Stubby was wounded by a hand grenade. Stubby stayed in the war and later apprehended a German spy. He was later promoted to sergeant.
Stubby was gassed a few times and eventually ended up in a hospital when Corporal Conroy was wounded. After doing hospital duty for a while, he and Conroy returned to the 102nd and spent the remainder of the war with that unit. Stubby was smuggled aboard to sail back home and muster with the rest of the regiment. Remarkably, that wasn’t the end of Sgt. Stubby’s service.
He was made a lifetime member of the American legion and marched in every legion parade and attended every legion convention from the end of the war until his death. He met three presidents of the United States and was a lifetime member of the Red Cross and YMCA. He regularly hit the campaign trail, recruiting members for the American Red Cross and selling victory bonds.
When Corporal Conroy went to Georgetown to study law, Sgt. Stubby became the mascot for the football team, joining a long list of Georgetown Hoyas. In 1926, Sgt. Stubby finally passed on. His obituary in the New York Times was three columns wide by half a page long - considerably more than many notables of his day. He was eulogized by many, including his old regimental commander and Clarence Edwards, the wartime commander of the 26th division.
Sgt. Stubby bravely served alongside the 102nd in combat during WWI and he provided equally valuable service in being a mascot for WWI veterans moving forward with their lives after returning home from war. During his life, every major newspaper wrote about Sgt. Stubby, providing veterans encouragement in their trenches of moving forward in postwar living.
Our specially trained dogs from New Life K9s carry on this work - providing help, assistance and comfort to veterans and first responders. Happy K9 Veterans Day Sgt. Stubby!
