Anthony Iliff

Animals used in the War

Page | 1
When people talk about the wars, they mostly talk about the humans, but there was also another

group that was involved, which are the animals. Animals were used in a variety of different

ways, being used as supporters, combat and sometimes turned into weapons. These animals

would come in a variety of shapes and sizes, each with their own unique talents, strengths and

personalities. Some animals can stand out from a group of others. Most of the animals who

participated in the war were forgotten, but there are a few that stood out from the others. Even if

humans were the main fighters for the wars, animals also played a major role to help the United

States achieve victory in different unique ways. This paper will share some of these stories and a

couple photographs that show animals were very useful in the war.

One good example is the story of Sergeant Stubby. Stubby was a short-tailed pit bull, who

started out as a stray, but was then adopted by soldier J. Robert Conroy, who was training at Yale

University in New Haven, Connecticut during the summer of 1917.1 During his time, Stubby

would be trained to perform the drills, bugle calls and even saluting.2 Stubby would go along

with Conroy to northern France after being assigned on February 1918. After spending a few

days, Stubby had been enduring battles, but unfortunately got exposed to a poison gas attack.

Luckily, Stubby survived the attack, but also acquired a special trait, which made Stubby

extremely sensitive to gas. This new trait was very useful, because Stubby wouldve helped the

American soldiers navigate through French territory

1 Jeff Campbell, Daisy to the Rescue True Stories of Daring Dogs, Paramedic Parrots, and Other Animal
Heroes, (San Francisco: Zest Books, 2014), 273

2 Ibid

Page | 2
where they can easily avoid unexpected poison gas attacks. This story shows that animals can

have their own special talents, where they can use these talents to help American soldiers in the

war.

Another good example of animals playing a major role in the war, is the story of Chips. During

the wars, America hasnt used any dogs, until around WWII where they started a military dog

program.3 During the time around March 1942, the military has established the K-9 Corps.4

Once this corporation was established, many dogs were brought in to be used in a variety of

different jobs. According to Jeff, the most successful dogs were the Doberman pinschers, which

were used as scouts and messengers in the South Pacific.5 Chips was a mixed breed German

shepherd, collie, and husky, being among the first dogs trained for sentry duty, where he was

placed in Third Infantry Division with a couple other dogs.6 In July 1943, Chips joined

Pattons Seventh Army with Private John Rowell, where they would head to Sicily, Italy.7 After

landing, John and Chips would be working inland on the beach when suddenly there was a

machine gun firing from a camouflaged pillbox.8 John wouldve tried to hold Chips back, but

Chips managed to break free from Johns grasp and charge directly towards the pillbox. Within

a few minutes, the gunfire would stop and suddenly an Italian soldier would stumble out of the

3 Jeff Campbell, Daisy to the Rescue True Stories of Daring Dogs, Paramedic Parrots,
and Other Animal Heroes, (San Francisco: Zest Books, 2014), 291.

4 Ibid

5 Ibid

6 Ibid, 292.

7 Ibid

8 Ibid

Page | 3
box, flailing in terror from Chips slashing and biting. Then, three more soldiers emerged, with

their arms up to surrender, as John called off Chips to take the four Italian soldiers as prisoners.9

Later that night, Chips manages to take ten more Italian soldiers prisoner to John, who didnt

even fire his gun once.10 In the end, Chips has only suffered a minor scalp wound and powder

burn. Chips was a big help for the American military, because if Chips wasnt involved, then the

American soldiers wouldve most likely been killed or captured by the Italian soldiers. This story

shows that animals can be useful in their own unique ways.

When it comes to pigeons, people dont see them much as military material. Before the war,

pigeons were actually very useful once humans started to successfully breed them. Pigeons used

in the war have been used in a few ways. Some of these include being used as livestock (for

eating), religious sacrifices, and most commonly messengers. Pigeons are good for the job,

because they have eyes that are positioned where they can see 360 degrees, and also have

transparent eyelids known as blinkers which can protect the eyes from drying out and dust

particles. This is a handy combination, because when a pigeon is flying through the war zones, it

needs to be able to navigate safely, so the message is sent. However, not all pigeons survive the

trip, because there have been times when hawks would attack and eat the messengers. In this

photograph, a messenger pigeon is being released from a tank to send a message. This photo is a

good example, showing that any animal in the war can be useful, even if they come in a small

size and arent used for combat.

In every war that has ever happened, horses are the most common animal used. Horses would be

used in a variety of ways from pulling cargo loads, carrying soldiers, fast transportation, food,

9 Ibid

10 Ibid

Page | 4
and even in close combat. When people think about the horses used in the war, they just think of

those horses being just horses doing their job, but there was one horse that stood out from the

rest, and her name was Sergeant Reckless. Reckless was a Mongolian mare that was raised to be

a pack horse for the United States Marines Corporation. Reckless has shown her true strength

during the Korean war, where she managed to make 51 solo trips, carrying ammunition to the

front line units and only got wounded twice. This photograph shows a picture of Reckless and

one of the marine soldiers. This photo is a good example, showing how much of a connection

Reckless had with the marines, but it also helps prove that some animals can stand out from the

others.

Out of the different creatures used in the war, elephants have been the only animal known to be

trained to mangle enemies. Elephants would be used mostly in India during the war for different

tasks. Some of these tasks include food supply, transportation through rough terrain, and mostly

carrying heavy loads. With elephants being very big, transportation is very easy because

elephants dont have many natural predators. There would be times when elephants were used as

a tool to help out in some situations. This photograph is a perfect example, showing an elephant

that is loading heavy cargo onto an American airplane during WWI. This photo is a good

example on how animals can use their strength to help out the Americans in the war, even if its

not for combat.

Throughout history, there is not many records on cats being used during the wars. However, there

is one cat that stands out from all the rest. This photograph shows three navy seals with a cat that

goes by the name Simon. Simon started out as a stray from Hong Kong, but was smuggled onto

the HMS Amethyst by 17 year old, navy seal, George Hickinbottom. Simon was considered a

lucky mascot due to all the help he gives to the navy. For starters, Simon would go after rats that

Page | 5
would try to get the navys food supply. This made it easier to keep track of the food quality,

since each member on the ship was given a rationalized amount. Another job that Simon was

used for is being a motivator. There were a few times where the navy seals would feel depressed,

but with Simons cuteness, the navy seals would feel more motivated. From this photo, Simon

wasnt just an ordinary cat, he also helped us conquer their depression and made things easier for

the crew. This photo is a good example, proving how animals can help achieve victory with their

personalities, and support.

In Conclusion, all these sources help show how animals have played a major role in the war.

Whether it was WWI, Vietnam, or WWII animals have always been there to help the American

soldiers and allies. These sources all relate by showing that each animal has a unique personality

where their hard work has proven themselves very useful, whether it was combat, support or

daily tasks. We should all take the time to stop and think about how lucky America was to have a

variety of creatures that helped us win our wars. With so many new types of creatures discovered

now compared to the 1900s, its an interesting thought to think, what kind of animals would

America use in future wars?

Page | 6