The Most Decorated Dog In History Read Online Free PDF Page A

leather coat for Stubby to wear in the cold weather. But the coat was not entirely practical: all over the back and sides the women had sewn or attached the dog’s campaign medals, including the Chateau Thierry Campaign Medal, the French Medal of Verdun, St Mihiel Campaign Medal and the Republic of France Grande War Medal. After the war, many other decorations were added to the collection including the Wound Stripe which was replaced with the Purple Heart (America’s highest honour for bravery in conflict). But there were two other decorations that were linked by one of Stubby’s bravest deeds: the apprehension of a German spy in the US trenches.
    It was early morning and the men were woken by a dog barking and howling. Conroy knew that it was his dog making all the commotion. He quickly gathered his rifle and ammunition, as he didn’t know what he was going to find, and made his way out of the dugout. There, lying on his face, on the top of the trench, was a German infantryman. His face was turned to the side and he looked ghastly. He must have been terrified out of his wits – he not only had a Bull Terrier standing on his back but Stubby also had a cheek of the man’s backside in his jaw. And there was no way on earth he was going to let go! Well, not until the men had gathered themselves together to take control of the prisoner. For this action, Stubby was awarded his three sergeant’s stripes for bravery. Much to the delight of his friends and fans worldwide he now outranked his master. In gaining his stripes, Stubby also became the first American dog to take an army rank. The men also thought that the German Iron Cross that he had dangling at the back of the coat was taken from his German prisoner; it seemed the kind of thing that could have happened. But no one knows for sure. And when the medal disappeared off the coat one day it put any worthwhile speculation to bed. But someone, somewhere thought the dog deserved this poetic justice.
    After the ladies presented Stubby with his unique coat in the little town of Domrémy (the birthplace of Joan of Arc), the accolades came thick and fast for Stubby. There was hardly any room on the chamois leather coat to take any more. But the dog had fought in seventeen battles in four campaigns and that was quite a feat in itself. The greatest feat was that he survived at all. After completing their hospital visiting duties, it was time for the soldier and the dog to prepare to go home to America.
    Although Stubby was well known for his heroic, life-saving deeds Conroy was reluctant to take any chances on the return journey. And so Stubby was smuggled aboard the troop ship the same way he arrived – under the cover of his master’s now very torn and weather-beaten greatcoat. It’s probable that several officers on duty when the ship docked and when the transfers were made from ship to shore turned a blind eye to the scruffy-looking dog who, like the men, was careworn, battle fatigued and in need of home comforts. No other soldier was going to deny this brave dog his passage home. No one could have that on their conscience.
    The end of the war was really just the start of a new life for Stubby. He was destined to be the most decorated dog in America and, no doubt, the world. A well-wisher had added his sergeant’s stripes to the now famous coat. They had been sewn right alongside his ‘Yankee’ Division patch, which was probably the most treasured decoration of all. But the Americans had a greater accolade for this war dog, this champion who raised men’s morale in the depths of despair and human destruction. Presented to General ‘Black Jack’ Pershing – Supreme Commander of the American Forces during the war – Stubby was on his best behaviour. The world’s press was looking for the photograph that would capture the heroic spirit of the First World War: the general and the war dog and Stubby didn’t disappoint them. Sitting on a table to elevate him to a