COMMEMORATING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEATH OF SERGEANT STUBBY

COMMEMORATING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEATH OF SERGEANT STUBBY

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 51 (Friday, March 20, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 51 (Friday, March 20, 2026)] [Senate] [Page S1443] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] COMMEMORATING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEATH OF SERGEANT STUBBY Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, I am on the floor today to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the death of Sergeant Stubby, Connecticut's first-ever military working dog and an icon in our Nation's history. In July 1917, members of the 102nd Infantry, 26th Yankee Division of the U.S. Army were training on the campus of Yale University in New Haven, CT, when a stray puppy wandered into their camp. Private J. Robert Conroy first found the dog and named him ``Stubby.'' Despite an official ban on pets in the camp, Stubby quickly became the mascot of the 102nd Infantry. When the 102nd was deployed to France in October 1917, Private Conroy managed to smuggle Stubby aboard the S.S. Minnesota--and the rest is history. Stubby served with remarkable valor in the trenches of France for 18 months, participating in four offensives and 17 battles. Stubby was an invaluable member of the 102nd beyond just improving the morale of his comrades; he warned his regiment of mustard gas attacks and artillery shells, located wounded soldiers between trenchlines, and was even solely responsible for capturing a German spy during the Meuse- Argonne offensive. Stubby suffered wounds from hand grenades and mustard gas, but each time made a full recovery and returned to the frontlines, with a special gas mask custom-made for him by the 102nd. At the end of the war, Private Conroy and Sergeant Stubby returned home safely to newfound celebrity. Stubby led parades across the country, met Presidents Woodrow Wilson, Calvin Coolidge, and Warren G. Harding, and received many awards. In 1921, General of the Armies John J. Pershing presented Stubby with a gold medal from the Humane Education Society. That same year Private Conroy and Stubby enrolled in Georgetown University Law Center, where Stubby became the Georgetown Hoyas' team mascot and performed during halftime for the football team. Sergeant Stubby died peacefully in his sleep on March 16, 1926, and was preserved via taxidermy. Private Conroy presented Stubby to the Smithsonian Institution in 1956. He is now part of the permanent collection at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History and is currently on display in the ``Price of Freedom: Americans at War'' exhibit. Even 100 years later, Sergeant Stubby's legacy stands strong and tall. He has been called the most decorated war dog of World War I and has been posthumously honored numerous times. His memory lives on through the 928th Military Working Dog Detachment of the Connecticut Army National Guard, the only such unit in the U.S. Army Guard or Reserve. In the past century, military working dogs like Sergeant Stubby have expanded their role, helping our servicemembers stay safe. I am proud to have successfully advocated for better treatment and respect for our military working dogs and their handlers. They are an important--and beloved--part of our military. Indeed, this past Friday, March 13, our nation celebrated National K9 Veterans Day. I hope my colleagues will join me in commemorating Sergeant Stubby and his steadfast service to our nation. ____________________