In Episode 449, Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger visit Veterans Memorial Park in Middletown, Connecticut, to pay their respects to a World War I Hero named Sgt. Stubby. Sgt. Stubby has a story like no other Sergeant in the history of the armed forces. He joined the 26th Yankee Division of the 102nd Infantry in New Haven, Connecticut, back in 1917. He saw battle, fought heroically, and made it home so we could hear about his tail.
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CREDITS:
Produced and hosted by: Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger
Edited by: Ray Auger
Guest Voice Actor: Lisa Strykowski
Theme Music by: John Judd
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EPISODE TRANSCRIPT:
*A note on the text: Please forgive punctuation, spelling, and grammar mistakes. Like us, the transcripts ain’t perfect.
[BIRDS/NATURE SOUNDS]
[DOG BARKING IN THE BACKGROUND]
JEFF: You’ve brought your dog with you on our adventure today!
RAY: Yeah, Margarita loves a good park.
JEFF: Veterans Memorial Park in Middletown, Connecticut is a great one for dogs.
RAY: It sure is! There’s plenty of space, I see a swimming pool over there, a pond on the other side of the parking lot. Lots of trails. Lots of room for a dog to run.
[BARK BARK]
RAY: Good girl!
JEFF: There’s also a military museum in this park.
RAY: Very cool! I guess that would explain the military helicopter on the stand at the far end.
JEFF: The military is what brough us here, Ray. We’ve come to Middletown, Connecticut, to pay our respects to a war hero named Sgt. Stubby.
[INTRO]
JEFF: Hi, I’m Jeff Belanger.
RAY: And I’m Ray Auger. Welcome to episode 449 of the New England Legends podcast. Thanks for coming along with us as we explore every strange story in New England one legend at a time. So many of our story leads come from you. This one did! Thanks to Dan LaShomb for contacting us about it through our website. If you’ve got a strange tales of ghosts, monsters, aliens, roadside oddities, or odd history, please let us know. We love hearing from you.
JEFF: We’ll go searching for Sgt. Stubby right after this word from our sponsor.
SPONSOR
RAY: Sgt. Stubby is our guy?
JEFF: It is.
RAY: That’s a bit of an unfortunate name. I hope nobody laughed at him when he was in the service.
JEFF: It IS a rough name for a sergeant. But I assure you, no one laughed at him. In fact, his men loved him dearly. He was a World War I hero, and there’s a statue to him right here in this park.
[WALKING]
JEFF: It’s on the other side of the pond. We’ll just follow this walking trail.
RAY: Got it. Middletown, Connecticut, is well-named. It’s located just about in the dead-center of the state. It’s been home to people for thousands of years, but it was first settled by Europeans back in 1650. Located on the Connecticut River, it’s far enough inland that it served as a sailing and shipping port in those early years. The Connecticut River is wide enough and deep enough here to give you access to Long Island South just about 20 miles southeast along the river.
JEFF: The memorial statue to Sgt. Stubby is just ahead.
RAY: Was he from Middletown?
JEFF: No he’s not. He’s from nearby New Haven, Connecticut. The fact that his statue is here is a bit of a controversy that we’ll get to soon. Sgt. Stubby was a decorated World War I veteran who saw combat, and was even wounded in battle. Thankfully, he made it home back to Connecticut so we could know his story. A story different… I dare say… than that of any other sergeant in the history of the United States Army. To learn more about him and find out how his memorial statue made it here to Middletown, let’s head back to the year 1917.
[TRANSITION]
RAY: It’s the summer of 1917, and we’re in New Haven, Connecticut. Woodrow Wilson is in the White House, but the biggest news around is that the World is at War.
JEFF: They’re calling it the Great War—most of Europe is involved, and now so is the United States.
RAY: The war began in June of 1914 with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie. Ferdinand was heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary. Decades of tension boiled over, and the leader was killed. There are two major sides in this Great War. Britain, France, and Russia, are allies, and fighting against Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy. A few months ago in April, the United States Congress declared war on Germany and joined the fight.
[SOLDIERS MARCHING]
JEFF: We’re on the campus of Yale University here in New Haven, where the 26th Yankee Division of the 102nd Infantry of the U.S. Army is training to get ready to deploy to France.
RAY: The 26th has setup their camp on Yale Field. It’s a sea of tents. Just about all of the men are from New England. Most are from Connecticut.
JEFF: Among them is Corporal Robert Conroy. He’s from New Britain, Connecticut.
RAY: Conroy, like many of his fellow soldiers, is tough as nails and ready to fight for the cause. He understands discipline and training are the keys to success in the military.
[TROOPS MARCHING]
RAY: So they march. They train. They do everything together because they know they’re going to be deployed to France soon. If they fight as one and look out for each other, they can’t be stopped.
[PLATES/FOOD BEING SERVED]
JEFF: It’s been a long day of training. Corporal Conroy is looking forward to his dinner with his comrades.
[DOG BARKS]
RAY: Looks like a dog has wandered into the midst here looking for some scraps.
JEFF: Stray dogs are nothing new at the 26th’s camp. Sometimes they get a handout, sometimes the men shoo them off. But there’s something different about this particular dog begging at the feet of Corporal Conroy.
RAY: This dog is a Boston-terrier bulldog mix. He’s cute. Charming even. Corporal Conroy shares some of his food.
[DOG BARKS]
RAY: As you can imagine, when you feed a stray, he tends to stick around.
[DOG BARKS]
JEFF: This Boston Bulldog isn’t a bother, though. He learns to stay out of the way when the soldiers are doing their drills. He quickly turns into a great companion, too. A few of the men give him a bit of their food, but pretty quickly it’s clear that Corporal Conroy is his favorite.
[TROOPS MARCHING]
JEFF: More days, more marching and drills, more preparations for France. And there’s this dog always nearby.
RAY: The Boston-terrier mutt is black and white, like many of his breed. But where his tail should be is nothing but a little stump. So Conry calls his new dog… “Stubby.”
[SHIP’S HORN]
RAY: By the time ship-out date arrives, the men of the 26th have packed up their tents, loaded their gear, and are ready to head to the docks for their awaiting ship.
JEFF: Corporal Conroy has grown pretty attached to his new dog, Stubby. And so have many of the other men. Conroy makes the call… he wraps Stubby in a blanket…
[SMALL WOOF]
JEFF: And smuggles him aboard the troop ship bound for France. It would seem the men now have a mascot.
[SHIP’S HORN]
[OCEAN SOUNDS]
JEFF: With the anchors aweigh, the men are off for France with a four-legged stow-away.
RAY: Stubby is so well-behaved and makes such good company for the men, that some of the commanding officers agree to look the other way regarding their furry fugitive. The dog is good for morale.
[OCEAN SOUNDS]
RAY: When the troop ship arrives in France, Stubby takes his position along with the rest of 102nd Infantry.
[CANNONS AND RIFLES FIRING / WAR SOUNDS]
JEFF: When the 26th are in battle, Stubby is right there with them.
JEFF/RAY: Oh no!
RAY: One of our troops just got hit!
[BARKING WILDLY]
RAY: And there’s Stubby barking for the medic’s attention!
JEFF: Stubby stays near the wounded man while he’s being treated as bullets fly overhead.
[WAR SOUNDS FADE]
JEFF: Stubby’s bravery in battle seals it. He’s not just a mascot, he’s part of the 26th now.
RAY: During downtime, Stubby is happy to spread his love around. The men pet him, play with him, and everyone makes sure he’s got plenty to eat.
JEFF: They even try to alter a French gas mask for Stubby in case there’s mustard gas. Stubby tolerates the mask. He seems to understand if his fellow soldiers are wearing one, then he should too. Though sometime there’s not enough warning to get the ill-fitting mask on Stubby and he’s got to fend for himself.
[BOMBS GOING OFF]
JEFF: Bombs and mortars shake the camps and trenches. Stubby quivers with fear, nearby men console him when they can.
RAY: On three different occasions Stubby gets separated from the 26th. He’d be missing for hours….
[BARK BARK]
RAY: But then find his way back to his unit.
JEFF: There are days of marching, there’s down days where Stubby can play and get adored by his fellow troops. And there are more battles…
[RIFFLES/CANNON BLAST]
[DOG YIPE!]
JEFF/RAY: On no! Stubby’s been hit!
RAY: A medic is rushing over. It looks like Stubby took a piece of shrapnel in his leg.
JEFF: The medic is patching up Stubby. (BEAT) He’s going to be okay.
[NIGHT SOUNDS FADE IN]
JEFF: (WHISPERING) We’re scoping out a farm where we’ve heard a German spy is taking refuge.
RAY: (WHISPERING) I think I see some movement over on the east side of the barn.
JEFF: (WHISPERING) Oh no… he’s on to us. He’s starting to run!
[DOG BARKS! GROWLS]
RAY: Stubby is chasing down the German spy! He just jumped on him and won’t let go!
JEFF: Stubby slowed him down just enough for the other men of the 26th to catch up and capture the spy.
[TRUMPET REVELRY]
JEFF: For bravery in the line of duty, the commanding officers of the 102nd award Stubby the rank of Sergeant, which makes him the first dog with a rank in all of the Armed Forces.
[SHIP HORN]
RAY: It’s April 7th, 1919. The 26th are on their way home to Connecticut. On board the ship is Stubby with his happy owner, Corporal Conroy. As they disembark, Stubby, who is fitted with a tight doggy sweater that bears his sergeant insignia, as well as other medals for service, proudly steps off the gangplank with his fellow soldiers. It’s not lost on Corporal Conroy that his dog technically outranks him.
[DOG BARKS]
RAY: Stubby, is glad to be home. And that brings us back to today.
[TRANSITION]
JEFF: So Sgt. Stubby was the first recognized service dog in the Armed Forces, and the first dog to obtain the rank of sergeant.
RAY: What a cool story!
JEFF: And there’s more to it right here in Veterans Memorial Park in Middletown.
[WALKING ON SIDEWALK]
JEFF: Check it out. We’ve reached the memorial to Sgt. Stubby.
RAY: Okay, this is amazing! We’re standing in front of a bronze statue surrounded by a small brick sidewalk. The dog is standing up on his hind legs with one paw raised almost like a salute.
JEFF: He’s even got his little uniform on with his insignia.
RAY: The plaque below the statue reads: Stubby, America’s First Dog of Service. Born New Haven, Connecticut, circa 1916. Died Washington D.C. 1926. The text goes on to explain his story.
JEFF: I love that Stubby has a statue.
RAY: I have a big question.
JEFF: Go ahead.
RAY: Stubby was born in New Haven.
JEFF: Right.
RAY: The 26th division of the 102nd Infantry adopted him—or Stubby adopted them depending on your perspective—at Yale University in New Haven.
JEFF: Yup.
RAY: His owner, Corporal Conroy, was from New Britain.
JEFF: Correct.
RAY: Why is Stubby’s statue in Middletown?
JEFF: Great question! Back around 2016 when they were planning this memorial statue, everyone’s first choice for where to place it was on the Yale campus in New Haven.
RAY: That would make sense.
JEFF: But Yale said no.
RAY: Why?
JEFF: Because they thought it would be confusing.
RAY: Confusing how?
JEFF: Do you know Yale’s mascot?
RAY: Ohhhhh right. The Yale Bulldogs.
JEFF: Right, they thought there would be confusion with their own mascot.
RAY: So given this beautiful Veterans park was established here in Middletown, everyone figured close enough to New Haven and to New Britain?
JEFF: Sure. The bronze sculpture was dedicated here Memorial Day weekend of 2018. It was created by artist Susan Bahary, after a three-decade effort to create a memorial, spearheaded by the family of Robert Conroy, the army corporal who adopted Stubby during training.
Ray: No matter where it’s placed, I love the story and that Sgt. Stubby has a statue.
JEFF: Dogs have served in various capacities in every major military conflict since World War I. Today, some of them are highly trained bomb-sniffing dogs who serve bravely alongside our armed forces. Others assist medics, and all of them help with morales. They don’t typically use Boston-terrier mix mutts these days for military service, but I love that Sgt. Stubby stands here in bronze to prove to the world, it ain’t the size of the dog in the fight… it’s the size of the fight in the dog that counts.
[BARK BARK]
[OUTRO]
RAY: Amen to that. And that takes us to After the Legend where we dig deeper into this week’s story and sometimes miss our target.
JEFF: After the Legend is brought to you by our Patreon Patrons! If we had medals to give, each and every one of our patreon patrons would get one. They help us financially with all of the costs it takes to bring you two stories each week. It’s just $3 bucks per month. That’s like buying me and Ray one gas station hotdog… that we’d have to split. For that, our patrons gets early ad-free access to new episodes, access to our entire archive of shows, and bonus episodes and content that no one else gets to hear. Just head over to patreon.com/newenglandlegends to sign up. We’d appreciate your support.
To see some pictures of Sgt. Stubby, both then and now in statue form, click on the link in our episode description, or go to our website and click on Episode 449.
We took a lot of the story from the April 8, 1919 Hartford Courant newspaper article on Stubby’s return home.
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We’d like to thank our sponsors, thank you very much to our patreon patrons, and our theme music is by John Judd.
Until next time remember… the bizarre is closer than you think.