Sgt. Stubby- WWI U.S. War Dog Hero
Sgt. Stubby- WWI U.S. War Dog Hero
Limited Edition Print, S&N on Conservation Archival Paper
Limited Edition, S&N Giclee On Canvas
Overall Size 15 1/2" X 26 "
Stubby joined The 102nd. Infantry, 26th. ( Yankee ) Division at Yale Field, New Haven Ct., in the spring of 1917. It is not known where he came from or what his true pedigree was, but he appeared to be several weeks old at the time of his arrival. Throughout his service, his caretaker was J. Robert Conroy. In July 1917, he was smuggled aboard the S.S. Minnesota at Newport News, VA. and sailed to France with his unit. Following winter training, Stubby went to the front and was in the trenches February 5, 1918. He participated in 17 engagements in four offensives ( Aisne-Marne, Champagne-Marne, St. Mihiel, and Meuse Argonne). After the Armistice, Stubby met President Woodrow Wilson when the President visited the 102nd. Infantry in France on Christmas Day 1918. When Stubby's unit returned to the United States in 1919, the dog was again smuggled aboard ship for the return trip. Stubby participated in many veterans parades in many cities and attended every American Legion convention until his death. He appeared in a series of vaudeville shows in 1919 on the same bill with Mary Pickford. He visited the White House in 1921 to meet President Harding and again in 1924 to meet President Coolidge. In 1921, General John J. Pershing awarded a gold medal to Stubby. In 1922-23, Stubby was official mascot of Georgetown University while his master (Conroy) was attending law school. Stubby died in 1926, and his remains were preserved with technical assistance from the Smithsonian. A plaster cast was made of his body, his skin was mounted on the cast and his crenated remains were interred within the cast. For many years he was on display at the National Red Cross Museum. On May 22, 1956, his master J.Robert Conroy, presented Stubby to the Smithsonian. Included with the gift were a brass-studded collar, a leather, a leather harness, a scrapbook containing the history of Stubby and a chamois blanket decorated with various badges, medals, and insignia of World War I.
