November School Assembly Dog of the Month Sgt. Stubby

We celebrated Veterans day this week and gave thanks and recognition to all the servicemen and women who have given so much in the defense of freedom. And since we are long overdue for our Dog of the Month feature, here is a story that covers both items!

Veterans Day, as you probably know, came into being originally to mark the day on which the peace was signed ending “The Great War”, “The War to End All Wars”, or, as we put it today, World War I. Peace, or as it was known at the time, the Armistice, began with the formal surrender of Germany on the eleventh of November at 11 AM. So it is that we remember our veterans of this war, and subsequently, of all wars, at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.

During that terrible war both sides used dogs as helpers. They served many functions. Besides helping the soldiers by boosting morale, they served as guard dogs and, most importantly, they were used extensively in the hours after a battle to aid in locating wounded soldiers. Many times the bodies were so numerous on those hellish fields that it was virtually impossible for the medical staff to discern the still living from the dead, but dogs could do so rapidly, and then sit by the wounded soldier until help could arrive, offering much appreciated comfort and companionship in the meantime.

One such dog was known as Stubby. Sergeant Stubby, to be exact.

Stubby, whose specific breed was never identified, appeared one day at a training field in Connecticut. He was befriended by soldiers who then smuggled him on board their ship when they embarked for the front.

He served on the Western Front for eighteen months with the 102nd Infantry, helping boost morale and searching for wounded soldiers. At times his unit was under constant fire, day and night, for over a month. During one such attack, Stubby was wounded in the leg by a hand grenade. He was relocated to the rear for medical care.But he recovered and returned to his unit.

On another occasion he was involved in a gas attack, and after recovering, was able to use the experience to warn soldiers of the approach of gas. He was even involved in the capture of a German spy, whom Stubby detained by clamping onto the mans trousers until guards could arrive and complete the arrest. Stubby received many medals, and his exploits made the papers at home.

Following the war, he was smuggled back to the United States where he was given the welcome of a hero. He went on to lead parades and appear at many football games and other events.

Stubby even met several presidents including Woodrow Wilson, Calvin Coolidge and Warren G. Harding. He was made a life member of the American Legion, the Red Cross and the YMCA. General John Pershing presented him with a special Gold medal from the Humane Education Society.

Stubby finally passed away quietly in his owners arms in 1926. Today his remains are part of a special war exhibit at the Smithsonian in Washington, DC. So here is to Sergeant Stubby! America’s first War Dog, and Mobile Ed’s School Assembly Dog of the Month!

Geoff Beauchamp is the Regional Manager of Mobile Ed Productions where "Education Through Entertainment" has been the guiding principal since 1979. Mobile Ed Productions produces and markets quality educational school assembly programs in the fields of science, history, writing, astronomy, natural science, mathematics, character issues and a variety of other curriculum based areas. In addition, Mr. Beauchamp is a professional actor with 30 years of experience in film, television and on stage. He created and still performs occasionally in Mobile Ed's THE LIVING LINCOLN