[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.

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