Military Bases using BSL! What about Sergant Stubby!?

"The year was 1914 and Europe became the battleground for nations pitted against each other in a massive war that was unparalleled in history. The United States declared its neutrality, but realizing its neutral status might be challenged, the U.S. began to prepare itself for the unimaginable, the possibility of being drawn into an all out world war. The American military began prepping the nation for the possibility of war by printing patriotic posters that were in part meant to rally the nation, and at the same time serve as a warning to unfriendly adversaries, to leave a sleeping giant alone. The various posters featured the image of an American Pit Bull Terrier draped in the American flag with words such as "Watchful-Waiting" and "The American Watch-Dog." The military chose the Pit Bull as a representative of the country, not only because the dog was the most respected of all the breeds, but because the feisty canine symbolized everything the country stood for: bravery, loyalty, patience, and a willingness to defend itself if provoked."


"The military's choice of selecting the Pit Bull proved to be ultimately prophetic, as a dog of the breed named Stubby, was to become a hero of the war. An Army Private had originally found him as a stray pup on the campus of Yale University and the two soon developed a strong bond. A few months later, the private received his orders to depart for the war in Europe. He couldn't bring himself to say goodbye to his new friend, so he smuggled him under his coat as he boarded a U.S. troop ship for France.
When the ship finally landed, Conroy's superior officer discovered Stubby. The officer was outraged that Conroy was trying to bring a pet into a war zone. He told Convey to get rid of him, as dogs " had no business being on a battleground." Just as it seemed that Stubby would be abandoned at the next French village, a strange and wonderful thing happened, the dog raised one of its paws up to its eye and saluted the officer. The officer stood silent in amazement, until he could no longer control himself, then he busted out into a fit of uncontrollable laughter. After calming down, he told Conroy that he could keep the dog, as it might prove to be a good morale boost for the troops. It was a fortunate thing for Stubby that Convey had taught him the trick.
The 102nd Infantry, along with their new mascot Stubby, reached the trenches of the French war front in February of 1918. The first thirty days were a constant bombardment of shelling that continued day and night. The soldiers in the unit were amazed by the coolness that Stubby demonstrated under such nightmarish conditions. They were further surprised when he took it upon himself to leave the relative safety of the trenches and boldly wander out into "no-man's-land." Undaunted by exploding mortar rounds and machine-gun crossfire, he braved danger to located injured American soldiers. On Stubby's first exposure to mustard gas he became sick and was taken to the field hospital. After this he became very sensitive to the gas and would bark excitedly when he sensed its presence in the air. Several times he saved the entire platoon by warning them of incoming gas attacks.

During his time in France with the 102nd Infantry, Stubby took on the duties of night sentry, carrier of intelligence between the trenches, and search and rescue. A further heroic deed of Stubby, was when he single-handedly captured a German spy who was gathering intelligence on the Allied position. Stubby rooted him out of his hiding place, and chomped onto the seat of his pants and refused to let go, much to the delight and cheering of the platoon. The Commander of the 102nd was so impressed by the brave dog that he put in a request for his promotion. The request was granted and Stubby was promoted to the rank of Sergeant, thus he became the first dog in U.S. Armed Forces history to recieve a military rank. Towards the end of the war, the loyal Pit Bull was severely injured in a German attack on the American position at St. Mihel. The enemy rushed the Allied trenches and a grenade exploded next to the dog. The soldiers of the 102nd rushed to the aid of Stubby who appeared lifeless after the blast. The men were almost certain he was dead, as he had taken a near direct hit, which imbedded a large amount of the metal shrapnel in his chest and right leg. Although bleeding and broken, he was still alive and was rushed to the field hospital. As his situation was deemed critical, he was transported from the field hospital to the American Red Cross, where doctors performed emergency surgery to save his life. Once fully recovered, he was returned to the front where he continued to serve and protect the men of the 102nd.

After having served in seventeen battles in WWI, Stubby returned home to the U.S. in April of 1919, to a hero's welcome. The French government, in recognition of Stubby's service, presented him with four medals for bravery, including the Republic of France Grande War Medal. The United States Military also presented Stubby with several medals, the most prestigious being the Purple Heart, for being injured in combat while serving his country. On his victory tour, Stubby met President Wilson at the White House, and gave the Commander in Chief, his now famous doggy salute. Stubby became the mascot for the University of Georgetown football team and he also split his time between charity events and various parades. Later he settled down with his owner to spend the last couple years of his life in Littleton, Colorado. After his death, the Smithsonian Institute erected a permanent display to honor the most decorated dog soldier in U.S. Military history, a distinction that he still holds to this day. Prior to WWI, dogs were not involved in military service, but it was Stubby who inspired the creation of the military and civil law enforcement K-9 units. "

 

"Shortly after the end of the war, a group of rambunctious kids, along with their four legged friend Petey, captivated the nation in a series of short films called Our Gang and later titled The Little Rascals. The dog had the beginning of a natural ring around its left eye and the rest was filled in with ink by make up artist Max Factor. Petey the pup was to go down in history as the most famous Pit Bull of its breed. Petey's popularity, then and now, has made him easily one of the most recognizable dogs to date. He is able to take his place in the celebrity dog world next to the likes of Lassie; however, unlike Lassie, who bit her trainer several times, Petey the Pit Bull, displayed nothing but a loving nature while working on a movie set involving many children."

"In 2000, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), joined together to investigate whether or not breed specific legislation (banning individual breeds, such as pit bulls) is effective. Dr. Julie Gilchrist, of the CDC Injury Center in Atlanta, concluded that, " We learned breed specific legislation is not the way to tackle the issue of dog bites. Instead, we should look at the people with the dogs responsible for the bites.""


Other Famous Pit Bulls:

Popsicle is the number one US customs dog. She was found in a freezer during a drug raid by Buffalo police in 1997. They found Popsicle as a 5 month old puppy, who quickly became a favorite. He graduated his training at the Canine Enforcement Training Center in Front Royal, Virginia, and went to work with his handler, J.J., in Texas.

RCA is a certified hearing dog in Alaska

Tahoe, Cheyenne, and Dakota are all search and rescue dogs in Sacramento, California. The three pit bulls worked none stop at the World Trade Center and Pentagon after 9/11.

Bud was the first dog to travel cross country in 1903.



Owners of the breed have included: Laura Ingalls Wilder, Thomas Edison, Helen Keller, Fred Astaire, John Steinbeck, Humphrey Bogart, Barbara Eden, and Mary Tyler Moor, Theodore Roosevelt,
Woodrow Wilson, General George Patton, Helen Keller, Jamie Foxx, Rachael Ray, Jon Stewart, Ken Howard, Jessica Biel, Jessica Alba, Kevin Federline and Pink.