“Sergeant Stubby: The Most Decorated Dog of WWI

Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:

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Hello and welcome to another episode of Biographics. I am your interim host, Carl Smallwood. Today, we’re talking about Sergeant Stubby, the most decorated dog of World War I. As with all the videos here on Biographics, this one is based on a script submitted to us by a member of our writing team, Arnaldo Tiro.

Before we continue, I’d like to point out that I’m not feeling well and have been bedridden for the last few days. If I look a bit pale or sickly, that’s why. Fortunately, being British, I’m going to guess that’s not too big an issue because I always look like this anyway.

From 1914 to 1918, tens of millions of young men suffered the horrors of the Great War. The trenches, the deafening din of artillery, the hail of machine guns, and the deadly fog of gas attacks claimed almost 10 million lives. However, amidst the mud and misery, millions of men could count on an army of brave and loyal companions—16 million animals served on both sides of the conflict. Horses, pigeons, and dogs were conscripted to transport supplies, serve as messengers, stand guard, and even provide first aid.

Dogs proved to be quite versatile; they carried weapons and supplies, delivered messages, killed vermin in the trenches, detected enemy scouts, and stood guard. As many as 10,000 dogs were trained to find wounded soldiers in no man’s land, becoming known as mercy dogs. Clad in a Red Cross vest, they carried first aid kits, water, and even hard liquor to comfort wounded troops.

In today’s Biographics, we are proud to bring you the story of a small mongrel who could and did perform all those duties. More astonishingly, our friend was not conscripted; one could argue that he volunteered. This is the story of Sergeant Stubby, the most decorated dog of World War I.

European nations were engulfed by the Great War on July 28, 1914. By March 1917, most theaters of the conflict had reached a stalemate. On April 6, 1917, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson declared war against the German Empire, and an American Expeditionary Force was assembled. The soldiers, nicknamed “Doughboys,” were transferred to France to join their British Commonwealth and French allies on the Western Front against Germany.

One of the Doughboys’ training camps was Camp Yale in New Haven, Connecticut, home to the 102nd Infantry Regiment. As the troops drilled and prepared for war, a peculiar recruit appeared seemingly out of nowhere—a mongrel with friendly eyes and a determined snout wandered into the camp. His size was far from impressive; in fact, his legs were rather short and stubby. But as they say, it’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog. This dog made it clear that Camp Yale was his home and the Doughboys were his new family.

The recruits happily adopted this new soldier and named him Stubby because of his stubby little legs. By October, the 102nd Regiment was urged to leave for France to complete training overseas, and somehow the Doughboys managed to hide Stubby from their superiors. They smuggled him aboard their transport ship, the SS Minnesota.

After landing in France, Conroy and Stubby boarded a train heading to Neuchâtel, Western France. During transit, an officer inspecting the troop carriages took Conroy by surprise. Just as the officer was about to punish him for having a stowaway dog, Stubby launched his counterattack. The mongrel stood on his hind legs, raised his front paw, and executed a perfect salute. The officer stood speechless and abandoned all resistance. Stubby was allowed to stay with Conroy and was appointed the official mascot of the 102nd.

After reaching Neuchâtel, Conroy and Stubby were introduced to their regiment commander, Lieutenant Colonel John “Machine Gun” Parker. Parker allowed Conroy to take Stubby along with him when he was assigned to a reconnaissance unit.

In October 1917, the French had reconquered the town of Châlons-en-Champagne, and in January 1918, the training of the 26th Division was cut short, assigning the Doughboys to that sector. They would complete their training directly in the trenches alongside their more experienced French allies. Conroy and Stubby reached the front lines in February of that year.

This was a relatively quiet stretch of the Western Front, at least in theory. In March alone, the 102nd suffered 446 casualties from poison gas attacks. The first attack came on March 17th, and luckily, Private Conroy had fashioned a custom-made gas mask for Stubby. When the clouds of gas seeped into the trenches, Conroy ordered Stubby to hide in his bunker. Stubby quickly learned from the experience and developed a talent for detecting the first whiffs of chlorine and mustard gases.

When the Germans released their next gas attack against the 102nd, Stubby barked loudly, alerting his comrades about the impending danger. As the men donned their masks, Stubby noticed an off-duty sergeant still sleeping in a dugout. The mongrel dashed toward the unaware NCO and nipped at his hands until he woke up and donned his mask.

Stubby was indeed proving his worth. Besides saving humans from deadly mustard gas, he stood guard alongside the sentries, kept them company, and comforted the wounded. When the first shelling barrage hit the 102nd trenches, Stubby experienced sheer terror, but he soon got used to the sounds of artillery. Thanks to his keen hearing, he could hear the whistling sound of incoming bombardments well in advance, barking madly to alert the Doughboys and allowing them extra seconds to seek cover, undoubtedly saving many lives.

On March 21st, the Germans launched their spring offensive. On April 20th, German trench raiders overran the position manned by the 102nd and headed toward the village of Spincourt. Conroy and Stubby were ordered to help retake the village. The 102nd successfully pushed the Germans back to their original position, and French artillery finished the job, forcing the raiders to withdraw.

The following morning was calm, and Stubby decided to take a walk in the now quiet no man’s land. Suddenly, an enemy shell exploded, releasing a hail of shrapnel. Conroy could hear Stubby’s loud distressed barks and realized in horror that he had been wounded in his breast and left foreleg. The Army surgeons did their best to save their mascot, and Stubby made a full recovery.

By June and July, Stubby and Conroy were back in action as they advanced against enemy lines. Many Doughboys were struck by machine gun and artillery fire, but Stubby once again proved his worth. Thanks to his keen sense of smell, he was able to locate his wounded comrades, carrying a first aid kit and offering precious comfort before rushing to retrieve human help, saving many lives.

The entire 26th Division continued their advance, reaching the town of Château-Thierry on the Marne River by July 10th. The locals celebrated the arrival of the Americans and their adorable mascot. However, celebrations were interrupted by Stubby’s loud barks, alerting Conroy that another barrage of gas shells was imminent. The troops immediately donned their masks and corralled the population to safety, once again saving lives.

In gratitude for saving them from almost certain death, the women of Château-Thierry presented Stubby with his own uniform, a suede leather blanket embroidered with the flags of the Allies. Conroy later pinned the numerous medals that the heroic dog collected during his military career upon this blanket and uniform.

In a matter of weeks, Stubby would earn his most prized decoration. The boys of the 102nd were allowed some weeks of rest before their next action on September 26th, when they were to assault the German-held town of Montfaucon. Both the Americans and the Germans put up a fierce fight, and over a single day, Montfaucon changed hands multiple times.

At one point during the day, Stubby’s heightened senses perceived something hidden nearby. Without hesitation, Stubby leapt into the bushes, snarling with menace. The enemy hiding in the undergrowth was described by the New York Times as a German scout. Stubby gave chase and lunged forward, hitting the scout with all his weight. As the man fell flat on his stomach, Stubby pounced on him and bit the seat of his trousers, pinning him down. A squad of Doughboys intervened, taking him prisoner.

Conroy and his friends realized that their captive wore a distinctive medal—the Iron Cross, the German decoration for bravery on the battlefield. They took it off him and pinned it upon Stubby’s uniform.

The Great War would officially end on November 11th, 1918, but neither the Allies nor the Germans knew that and continued to fight throughout October and early November. The last three weeks of the war were truly miserable for Stubby and his friends. The men were exhausted after fighting for three weeks under continual rain with scant food and little shelter. In November alone, the 26th Division suffered over 400 dead and wounded and almost 500 gas casualties. Luckily, Conroy and Stubby made it through in one piece.

On Armistice Day, the men and dog of the 26th Division would return home in March 1919, but before that, they enjoyed their fair share of victory parades in France. Stubby could be seen marching alongside Conroy, proudly covered in medals. By then, he had become something of a celebrity and was known as Sergeant Stubby, although he never received an official promotion.

Back home, Stubby entered the American Legion, an organization of war veterans, joining in their parades and conventions. On those occasions, he was introduced to three presidents: Wilson, Coolidge, and Harding. He was decorated by General Blackjack Pershing, Commander in Chief of the American forces in Europe.

In September 1922, Stubby decided to broaden his horizons beyond military life and enrolled in law school at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Well, Robert Conroy did, but Stubby tagged along, becoming the mascot of the football team. According to the Connecticut Military Department, during halftime, he would nudge a football around the field, much to the delight of the crowd. This little trick is thought to be the origin of the halftime show.

Sadly, Stubby’s journey on this Earth came to an end on April 4th, 1926. The New York Times published the news nobody wanted to hear: Stubby of the American Expeditionary Force had passed away.

By the time of his death, Stubby was the proud wearer of numerous medals, including a Humane Education Society Hero Medal, two American Legion medals, three service stripes, two campaign medals, one Purple Heart, the Republic of France Great War Medal, and of course, the Iron Cross he had taken from a German soldier.

I hope everyone found this video to be educational, entertaining, and informative. If you agree, you can let the author, Arnaldo Tiro, know by clicking on the social links provided below. You can also like the video, comment with feedback or suggestions, and share your own stories about your dogs.

Thank you for watching. I hope you have the day you deserve. Remember to pet every dog you see—they’re all good boys and girls!

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