Sergeant Stubby
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“ ‘Stubby’ Has Hiked With His Pals on Every Legion Parade Route.” Minneapolis Morning Tribune, September 17, 1924.
“ ‘Stubby,’ Hero Dog, Is Awarded Medal at Show.” New Britain Herald, February 24, 1920.
“ ‘Stubby,’ Heroic Mascot of 102d Infantry, Dies in Washington Home.” Hartford Courant, March 18, 1926, 2.
“Stubby’s History of Epic Warfare.” New Britain Herald, March 24, 1926.
“ ‘Stubby’ Honored by General Pershing.” New Britain Herald, July 7, 1921.
“Stubby, Legion Mascot, Here.” Kansas City Star, October 1921.*
“ ‘Stubby,’ Most Decorated Dog, Meets Buddies in Omaha.” Evening Bee (Omaha, Nebraska), October 8, 1925.
“Stubby of the A.E.F. Enters Valhalla.” New York Times, April 4, 1926.
“ ‘Stubby,’ of the Yankee Division.” Hartford Courant, April 13, 1919, 19.
“Stubby, War Dog Hero, Will Be C.U. Mascot in State Game.” Washington Post, November 1, 1920, 12.
“ ‘Stubby,’ War Mascot, Honored by Comrades.” Washington Post, December 5, 1927, 2.
“ ‘Stubby’ Will Have Tablet to Memory.” Hartford Courant, November 30, 1927, 6.
“ ‘Stubby,’ Yankee Division Mascot, Returns to Honor Human Buddies.” New Britain Herald, December 26, 1922.
“ ‘Stubby,’ YD Canine Hero, Dead.” New Haven Journal Courier, 1926.
“ ‘Stubby,’ YD Mascot, Wins More Honors.” Hartford Courant, February 25, 1920, 4.
Swager, Peggy. Boston Terrier. Freehold, New Jersey: Kennel Club Books, Inc., 2011.
“Tablet Commemorating Deeds of Stubby Given to Red Cross by Fenn.” Hartford Courant, December 8, 1927, 9.
“Tells of Regard for Gen. Edwards.” Hartford Courant, March 14, 1919.
Thompson, John A. Woodrow Wilson. London, England: Pearson Education Limited, 2002.
Tucker, Ray T. “Ovation Without Parallel for New England’s Own in Boston; 102d Wins Honors of Parade.” Hartford Courant, April 26, 1919, 1, 2.
“Veterans of Yankee Division Will Meet.” Washington Post, December 14, 1924, 27.
Vickrey, Bab. “Three Canine War Heroes Enjoying Peace in Connecticut After Thrilling Trials Under Fire Along Western Front.” Bridgeport Herald, August 8, 1920.
Whitehead, Sarah. Dog: The Complete Guide. New York: Barnes and Noble Books, 1999.
“Works for a Bonus (and a Bone).” New York American, June 5, 1923, 9.
“Wounded Dog Calls on Former Buddies.” Middleton Evening Press, July 23, 1921, 10.
Wyatt, Franklin P. “A Known Warrior.” (Unidentified source), 1921, letters to the editor.*
“YD Dog Given Medal.” Boston Traveler, July 7, 1921.
Zimmer, Carl. “Wolf to Dog, an Enduring Mystery.” New York Times, November 19, 2013, D3.
* Publication information for some material taken from J. Robert Conroy’s scrapbook for Stubby could not be confirmed.
ILLUSTRATIONS CREDITS
Front cover: (Image of Stubby) Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division, LC-DIG-hec-31070 (colorized by Melissa Farris); (background flag) Ensup/iStockphoto; Introduction, Bettmann/Corbis; Part One opener, Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division, PAN US MILITARY–Army no. 115; Chapter 1: Courtesy of the Deane family; Courtesy of the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center; Chapter 2: Courtesy of the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center; Elizabeth Hudson Papers, Manuscripts and Archives, Yale University Library; Chapter 3: Courtesy Armed Forces History, Smithsonian Institution; Courtesy of the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center; Courtesy of the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center; Chapter 4: Courtesy of the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center; Courtesy of the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center; Courtesy Armed Forces History, Smithsonian Institution; Chapter 5: Courtesy Armed Forces History, Smithsonian Institution; Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division, LC-DIG-ds-04292; Part Two opener, Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division, LOT 6944 no. 32; Chapter 6: Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division, LC-USZ62-51348; Courtesy of the Sewall-Belmont House & Museum, Home of the Historic National Woman’s Party; Chapter 7: Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division, LC-USZ62-36565; Courtesy of the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center; Courtesy of the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center; Chapter 8: Paul Jean Gaston Darrot Papers, Manuscripts and Archives, Yale University Library; Courtesy Armed Forces History, Smithsonian Institution; Courtesy of the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center; Part Three opener, Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division, LC-USZ62-52796; Chapter 9: Courtesy Armed Forces History, Smithsonian Institution; Courtesy Armed Forces History, Smithsonian Institution; Courtesy Armed Forces History, Smithsonian Institution; Courtesy Armed Forces History, Smithsonian Institution; Chapter 10: Bettmann/Corbis; 168, Courtesy Armed Forces History, Smithsonian Institution; Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division, LC-DIG-npcc-13409; Courtesy of the Deane family; Chapter 11: Courtesy Armed Forces History, Smithsonian Institution; Courtesy Armed Forces History, Smithsonian Institution; Author’s collection/Artifact from Armed Forces History, Smithsonian Institution; Afterword, Courtesy of the Deane family; Appendix, Author’s collection/Artifact from Armed Forces History, Smithsonian Institution; Back cover, Courtesy Armed Forces History, Smithsonian Institution.
READING GUIDE
1. Most Americans wanted the United States to stay out of the First World War. What reasons would the average American citizen most likely have given for neutrality?
2. The sinking of the Lusitania and other ships bearing American citizens and cargo influenced President Woodrow Wilson to involve the United States in the war. Why would Germany have considered it justifiable for civilians to perish during military attacks at sea?
3. British lieutenant Ralph Kynoch said, “We’ll take anything for a trench companion—but give us a dog first” (this page). What made dogs ideally suited to be companions to soldiers in the trenches? Were there risks in allowing members of the armed forces to keep dogs on the battlefield?
4. What factors motivated Stubby’s companion, Robert Conroy, to smuggle his friend overseas? To what extent was he naive or insensitive to transport a dog to a war zone? What alternatives could he have considered, in terms of leaving the dog behind?
5. Like the soldiers of the Yankee Division, Stubby must have experienced unimaginable fear and uncertainty on the battlefield, but unlike the soldiers who befriended him, he could have more easily deserted the scene. What options might he have had beyond the battle zone? What factors influenced him to remain on the front lines instead?
6. Stubby seemed to have a knack for knowing when soldiers needed companionship or consolation in wartime (this page). What cues would the men have given Stubby that allowed him to recognize those needs? Soldiers may have thanked the dog for his companionship by sharing food with him. How else may he have been rewarded for offering his attention?
7. Robert Conroy wrote that Stubby “seemed to have many lives” (this page), and there are conflicting reports about the quality of Stubby’s bravery in the face of danger. As with most stories, the truth may have been changed or exaggerated with each telling. What value did these embellishments have to the community of soldiers that adopted Stubby as their mascot? What harm could the unvarnished truth have presented?
8. Communication between commanders and battle units is a critical factor in success on the battlefield. What challenges were presented in a war zone, where trenches restricted one’s vision and communications were carried by fragile wiring or by human or animal messengers?
9. Civilians on the home front were asked to make sacrifices such as observing “meatless Mondays” and “wheatless Wednesdays” (this page) to be sure there were enough resources to support the troops. Do you think Americans could be called on to make the same sacrifices today? What changes in American culture have influenced our ability or willingness to do these things in the 21st century? What types of home-front support do we pro
vide our troops today?
10. What were the risks of a propaganda campaign that vilified Germany and the German war machine, tainting, by association, German Americans and German culture in the United States? Could the benefits have outweighed the harm to any extent? What long-term damage could this campaign have had on American culture?
11. Was it right for the National Woman’s Party to pursue its goal of woman suffrage during wartime when many voices advocated for the country to stand united against a common foe? How might the timing of its efforts have contributed to the success of the movement and the ratification of the 19th Amendment, granting women the right to vote not even two years after the end of combat?
12. Historian Edward G. Lengel characterizes the Meuse-Argonne campaign as the largest and most costly battle in American history, and he considers it to be America’s most important contribution to the outcome of the First World War (this page). Why has this campaign largely been forgotten?
13. The military euthanized thousands of service dogs after the war, considering them to be too traumatized by combat for repatriation (this page). What fears or concerns might have prompted such a decision?
14. If it’s easy to understand why soldiers embraced Stubby as a mascot on the battlefield, it may be more difficult to comprehend why civilians were so eager to celebrate him after the war. What would he and his story have represented for everyday Americans? How was he important to the morale, the spirit, and the imagination of postwar America?
15. The press seemed to adore Stubby in the postwar years, and reporters played a significant role in making his story legendary in scope. Why would this narrative be important to the media? Why would they be eager to embellish the facts?
16. How did Stubby’s physical characteristics and overall nature help him survive on the battlefields of the First World War? How did they help him in his postwar years?
17. Stubby’s fame coincided with the public’s increasing love of dogs (this page). Why did dogs gain in popularity as pets at that time? Which of Stubby’s qualities would have been attractive and inspirational to ordinary citizens in search of animal companionship?
18. The honors Stubby received after the war drew sporadic criticism during an era when many veterans faced difficulties transitioning to civilian life (this page). How would veterans who knew Stubby have responded to this criticism? Why did Stubby continue to be an important symbol of their service even after the war had ended?
19. Robert Conroy may have missed his calling as a publicist. He established exceptional political connections and had a knack for managing the news media. What tactics did he employ to keep Stubby in the public eye throughout their postwar lives? Did he use any strategies that might be considered inappropriate by today’s standards?
20. A New Britain Herald writer said, “Stubby was the concentration of all we like in human beings and lacked everything we dislike in them” (this page). Which of Stubby’s qualities would have made him, as the Herald writer goes on to say, “the visible incarnation of the great spirit that hovered over the 26th”? If Stubby represented the best in human beings, what were some of the traits he lacked that can be seen as unlikable in humans (or animals)?
21. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, one of the warning signs of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is when an individual exhibits symptoms that make it difficult to negotiate the challenges of daily life, including going to school or work, being with friends and family, and taking care of important tasks. Does Robert Conroy seem to have experienced PTSD?
22. The National Center for PTSD warns against certain coping behaviors that may do more harm than good for those with symptoms of the disorder. The list of negative coping behaviors includes such things as avoiding others, avoiding memories of the traumatic event, and working too much. How could a pet like Stubby help veterans avoid negative coping?
23. What would the reasons be for adding a memorial to military service dogs to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.? What would the arguments be against the addition? Who would benefit from such a memorial and why?
24. Although World War I serves as a backdrop for most of the book, the text conveys a love story along with the war story. In what ways is this book about love? Does this theme extend beyond the relationship between Stubby and Robert Conroy?
25. What is it about the history of Robert Conroy and Stubby that continues to resonate today? Why are we inspired by stories about the bonds between humans and animals? What qualities do dogs offer, uniquely from other animals, to their human companions?