025. Sergeant Stubby

We visit Middleton CT and the Trees of Honor Veterans Park to see a different kind of war hero.

Transcript

Hey Pedestal Peeps! Welcome back to the New England on a Pedestal podcast with me, Doug Farquharson. This will be another of our mini-sodes where we cut to the chase and do a quick dive into one local work and its particular history. It also marks our 25th episode! A bit of a landmark for our podcast. No doubt about it, it has taken us a bit of time to get here and I wasn’t sure we would. According to podcast hosting site Buzzsprout on January 31, 2025, “…90% of podcasts don't get past episode 3. Of the few that continue, another 90% will quit after 20 episodes.” Right there I’d say we’ve beaten the odds and are doing all right! I’ve really enjoyed the last month or two having gotten back on track creating content and getting it up and published. The newer formats help and I’m looking forward to few other updates and surprises that I hope will keep New England on a Pedestal the fun and informative little podcast I envision it to be and I hope you’re enjoying. So, thanks again for sticking with us, and now let’s get to it!

Several of our recent episodes centered around man’s best friend. We’ve checked out Sarah’s Dog and Spencer the Marathon Dog. Today we find ourselves in Middletown, Connecticut at the Trees of Honor Veterans Park where there is a memorial to another pup. For this story we head back to the early 20th century and WW I. Stubby, so named because of his short tail, was a stray in 1917 when he was found and befriended by Robert Conway who was training for combat deployment. Stubby soon became the unofficial mascot of the company and greatly improved morale. He even learned how to salute by raising a paw up to his eyebrow. He was secreted aboard the ship taking them to Europe and the Great War. He was discovered as a stowaway upon disembarking by the commanding officer. However, once he saw how much the men loved Stubby, he allowed the dog to stay. Stubby was involved in many of the battles the 102nd participated in. He often stayed with wounded soldiers and barked to alert medics of their location and need for help. His keen sense of smell often alerted the men of incoming gas attacks from the enemy giving them ample time to don their gas masks and protective gear. There’s even a story of Stubby biting and holding onto a German spy. This action prompted the commanding officer to write higher headquarters and officially request that Stubby be promoted to the rank of sergeant. Once awarded, that made him the very first dog with an actual rank in the US military. After Stubby and his unit liberated the French town of Chateau Thierry, the local women made a uniform for him to wear embroidered with various military patches. It also gave him a place to wear several ribbons and medals awarded to him. After Conroy and Stubby returned to the United States, they toured the country appearing at various cities, and towns to cheering fans and leading parades. He was even given honorary memberships to the YMCA and the American Legion. Upon his death in 1926, a taxidermist preserved his body, and it is on display at the Smithsonian in Washington, DC. At least two books, one for adults and one for young readers have been written about Conroy and Stubby. In 2018, sculptor Susan Bahary captured Stubby’s iconic saluting pose complete with his uniform. It is a life sized statue of the Boston Terrier mix and sits atop a rectangular granite pedestal with a bronze plaque detailing events in Stubby’s life. There is a matching statue in the AKC Museum of the Dog in New York City. 

You can visit Stubby’s statue for yourself at 79 Meech Ct in Middletown, Ct. Tune into our next episode when we visit another Connecticut canine. Until then, be safe, be well, be kind and keep discovering. Thanks for listening!