Sergeant Stubby and J. Robert Conroy, March 1919. Sergeant Stubby. Thank you for subscribing to HistoryExtra, you now have unlimited access. For Stubby, he happened to wander on to a Yale field where young Private J. Robert Conroy was training for World War I. Nobody knows exactly when Stubby was born, but it’s thought to have been during the first half of World War I. One unique hero, however, walked on all fours! Private John Robert Conroy, who developed a fondness for the dog, brought him to his camp and named him Stubby because of his stumpy tail. The soldier called to Stubby, who put his ears back and began to bark. Hearing a sound in the stillness of the night, the dog, who guarded sleeplessly, stole out of the trenches and recognized–a German. Read more. Robert Conroy enrolled in Georgetown Law School in 1921, and Stubby became mascot of the football team. 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. 6. Your guide to the Domesday Book: the most important document in English history? Stubby was also featured in the Brave Beasts exhibit at the Legermuseum in Delft, The Netherlands. Stubby was involved in many battles while stationed overseas, including the second battle of Marne (July 1918) and the battle of Chateau-Thierry (July 1918). Stubby died of old age in 1926, and Conroy held him in his arms until the dog had taken his last breath. But how much do you know about the decorated war dog? He was sent to the rear for convalescence, and as he had done on the front was able to improve morale. I also don’t believe that entertainment and education have to be mutually exclusive: it’s all about how information is presented. Later, Stubby was injured during a grenade attack, receiving a large amount of … Stubby was an amazing opportunity to bring some of the realities of history to children in an age-appropriate way. Courtesy of Division of Armed Forces/Smithsonian National Museum of America History. Directed by Richard Lanni. Sergeant Stubby – Our First American ‘War Dog” No one knows where Stubby was born or even his pedigree for sure. 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’s Day. Stubby went on to become a very brave soldier and won a lot of medals before he reached the age of two.6. Stubby did catch a German spy; he was taught to salute; he did go out into no-man’s land, locate the wounded and bring out the stretcher bearers; he did nurse Robert Conroy through the Spanish flu; and he did get seriously wounded and go AWOL for a month before turning up back at camp. Mentions of Nellie’s stubby tail may have caused her story to become conflated with that of Sergeant Stubby, introduced to the world by the Boston Globe on April 8, 1919, about halfway through an article entitled “Heroes Aplenty On Agamemnon,” profiling the soldiers and animals aboard a recently landed troop transport ship. One of Stubby’s greatest recorded achievements occurred late one night on the western front. Please enter your number below. Stubby is still recognized as the most decorated dog in … In April 1918, during a raid to take Schieprey, Stubby was wounded in the foreleg by the retreating Germans throwing hand grenades. Until 1917 it is thought that he wandered the streets of New Haven, Connecticut scrounging for scraps of food. 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. May 6, 2015 - Explore Madonna kemp's board "sergeant stubby Famouse war Boxer" on Pinterest. 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. By entering your details, you are agreeing to HistoryExtra terms and conditions and privacy policy. America Enters WW1 Sgt. Sergeant Stubby (c1916–1926) was an American dog who served as the mascot of America’s 102nd Infantry Regiment during the First World War. Stubby was found while wandering the campus Yale University in Connecticut while the 102nd Infantry was training. 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. Following the retaking of Château-Thierry by the US, the women of the town made Stubby a chamois coat on which were pinned his many medals. These heroes came from all walks of life. 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. Also Includes: Stubby word search Design a stamp template Design a word search 2 Event Graphic Organisers. Back home his exploits were front page news of every major newspaper. Sergeant Stubby An article by Emily Thompson 20th October 2017 • 3 min read. We do need to find ways to help prevent history from being lost, particularly as new generations come and go. Stubby went on to become a very brave soldier and won a lot of medals before he reached the age of two. Alerted by the commotion, Stubby’s fellow soldiers were then able to capture and imprison the spy. The crowds loved seeing him on the field. His sense of smell, too, meant that he could readily detect mustard gas attacks: he once saved an entire company by alerting the men to don their gas masks. With Logan Lerman, Helena Bonham Carter, Gérard Depardieu, Jordan Beck. Attempts by the German to deceive the dog were futile. He accompanied them to France in 1917 and served with them in their battles, hardships, sorrows, and joys. 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’. Here are some interesting things to know about this four-legged hero. 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. He continued to attack the man until the U.S. soldiers arrived. Stubby was a stray dog, wandering around a Yale University field, when he was rescued in 1917 by John Robert Conroy, a soldier being trained for World War I combat. He was an ownerless stray when he was befriended by J. Robert Conrad, a private in the 102nd Infantry of the 26th “Yankee” Division in training at Camp Yale in Connecticut. 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. The battlefields of World War I were the scene of much heroism. As recently as 2006, Stubby was honored as part of a World War I monument in Kansas City. For his efforts that night, Stubby was issued an Iron Cross medal that had originally been given to the German spy. Stubby", http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2013/05/27/Canine-soldiers-earn-accolades.html, "1921 The Evening World: Stubby, a brindle Boston Bull Terrier...". 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. With the “War to End All Wars” looming, the life of Army “doughboy” Robert Conroy (Logan Lerman, Fury, Perks of Being a Wallflower, Percy Jackson & The Olympians) is forever changed when a little stray dog with a stubby tail wanders into training camp in New Haven, Conn. Conroy gives his new friend a name, a family and a chance to embark on an adventure that would define a century. Private Robert J. 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