Stubby – Brave Soldier Dog of the 102nd Infantry

In October of 1917, Stubby, the “Unofficial- Official” mascot of the 102nd Infantry during the time when America entered the Great War of Europe, Stubby was smuggled aboard the troop ship S.S. Minnesota in an overcoat and sailed inito doggy legend.
Times were not good in France, the American Expeditionary Force was looked upon as second class soldiers, not to be trusted without French oversight and trench warfare combined with deadly gas took a toll on both the men and their spirits.
STUBBY did his part by providing morale-lifting visits up and down the line and occasional early warnings about gas attacks or by waking a sleeping sentry to alert him to German attack.
In April, 1918, when the Americans raided the town of Schieprey, Germany, STUBBY got a little over enthusiastic and found himself on top of trench when a grenade went off and he was wounded in the foreleg.
After the recaputure of Chateau Thierry, the women of the town made STUBBY a chamois blanket embroidered with flags of the allies. The blanket also held his wound stripe, three service chevrons and  numerous medals, the first of which was presented to him in Neufchataeu, the home of Joan of Arc.
In the Argonne STUBBY ferreted out a German Spy in hiding and holding on to the seat of his pants kept the stunned German pinned until the soldiers arrived to complete the capture. STUBBY confiscated the Germans Iron Cross and wore it on the rear portion of his blanket for many years.
STUBBY was also gassed a few times and eventually ended up in a hospital when his master was wounded. After doing hospital time for a while,, he and his Master, Corporal Robert Conroy, returned to the 102nd and spent the remainder of the war with that unit. STUBBY was smuggled back home in much the same way as he entered the War, although by this time he was so well known that you have to suspect that one or two general officers probably looked the other way as he went aboard ship to sail home and muster out with the rest of the regiment.
STUBBY was later pinned with numerous medals including the Gold Hero Dog’s Medal that was commissioned by the Humane Education Society, the forerunner of our current Humane Society.
Source: http://www.et.gov/mil/cwp for more information.