Canines have been serving with distinction alongside their human best friends for thousands of years. In the United States, there have been military dogs since the Civil War.
Case in point: a dog named Stubby went overseas with the 102nd Infantry from Connecticut in 1918 during World War I. Not only was “Sergeant Stubby” a morale-boosting compatriot of the soldiers, but he also warned them of artillery, gas and infantry attacks and once captured a German spy. He was even wounded by a hand grenade during a raid. This famous military pup, though not the first, is considered the “grandfather of the war dog.”
For the past century, there have been countless dogs of numerous different breeds trained to serve alongside American soldiers. In 2017, Bloomberg reported that there were approximately 1,600 military dogs in service or one for every three U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan.
Now, these valiant dogs are receiving well-deserved recognition from the United States Postal Service with a collection of special postage stamps.
