We Are Dying to Hug Chesty, the Marines' Adorable New Bulldog Puppy Mascot

The 14th Chesty is a splendid dog. He should discharge his duties nobly and with much cuteness.

A new, impossibly green recruit reported for duty earlier this week, stepping off the bus from his hometown of Stephens City, Virginia, and joining the ranks of his esteemed peers in the armed forces.

His name is Chesty. He is a nine-week-old English Bulldog.

But before he can assume his duties as the official United States Marine Corps mascot, Chesty must survive a relentless boot camp, a hell-on-earth struggle that will test his resolve and bring him face to face with his worst fears -- he'll go to obedience school, in other words.

“After obedience school and recruit training, the young puppy will earn the title Marine, joining the ranks of his well-known predecessors,” the Marine Corps said on its website.

Those predecessors include 13 other Bulldogs named Chesty, all of whom are named after the late Lt. Gen. Lewis “Chesty” Puller, one of the most decorated officers in the history of the Marine Corps. The post -- mascot -- goes back to World War I, when our boys, responding to the German habit of calling Marines ‘teufel-hunden,' or devil dogs, created a U.S. Marine recruiting poster with a snarling English Bulldog wearing a Marine Corps helmet. 

After the poster with a Bulldog, the Marines set about getting an actual Bulldog, according to author Marion F. Sturkey, who wrote Warrior Culture of the U.S. Marines.

“At the Marine base at Quantico, Virginia, the Marines obtained a registered English Bulldog, King Bulwark. In a formal ceremony on 14 October 1922, Brig. Gen. Smedley D. Butler signed documents enlisting the bulldog, renamed Jiggs, for the ‘term of life.’ Pvt. Jiggs then began his official duties in the U.S. Marine Corps.”

He was later renamed Chesty, after the famed Chesty Puller, and the naming tradition stuck.

As for this Chesty, his duties will include marching in the Friday Evening Parades and supporting various events around the National Capitol Region, according to the Marine Corps' website.

That is, after he gets into fighting shape.

"We do like what we do with regular recruits, our human recruits," said Captain John Norton, according to Fox 59 News. "We’re going to take a good civilian and we’re going to make him a little bit better and turn him into a U.S. Marine.” 

Via Fox 59 News 

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Marines, motorcycles and the Family of Fur honor our own

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Standing in the warm sunshine of a San Diego County spring day yesterday, I thought of families: The families we’re born with, and the families we make ourselves. Yesterday, both kinds were much in evidence, as hundreds of people came to pay their final respects to Paul Palika, killed two weeks ago in a motorcycle accident on a rain-lashed California freeway. Paul, of course, was the husband of our Liz Palika, and I flew south to join our Kim Campbell Thornton, her dog Harper, and our Arden Moore at the service.

For Paul and Liz, the blood relatives were there, of course: Liz’s mom, siblings, Paul’s daughter. I’d never met any of them, but was not surprised to find I liked them all.

But more astonishing, really, was the response from the family we make.

Some of these families are forged in service and sacrifice, and such was the case with the many Marines and Navy veterans and active-duty service members who were there (Paul was a Marine veteran, and so is Liz). Some of these folks were also part of the other large group, the Patriot Guard, a motorcycle club that honors veterans. Guard members were not the only motorcyclists there, though: The line of riders coming in to the Kindred Spirits training yard was three miles long, with motorcycles ranging from powerful Harleys and BMWs all the way to Vespa scooters.

And then, of course, the family I came with: Dog-lovers.

Liz is a dog-trainer, and with her partners Petra and Kate she owns Kindred Spirits dog training. Many of the dogs at the service were owned by the training team, but many others came with those who’d come through the program and had Kindred Spirits to thank for their well-mannered companions.

A few other dogs were there as well, alongside neighbors and friends. Despite all the noise, people and dogs, Harper could not have been better, even though I’m pretty sure she was the smallest dog there and the crowd was so large that she was nearly stepped on a few times.

The Palika dogs seemed to know how many came for their family. This was especially true of Bashir, who was working his therapy dog magic on everyone.  And anyone who has ever doubted that dogs could grieve need only have spent a few minutes with Archer, Paul’s service dog, to be convinced otherwise. Archer was being protected by Kate, but clearly having a difficult time with his new circumstances. Heart-breaking.

The afternoon was life-affirming in a way I’ve never experienced before, and I can’t help but believe that Paul knew and was smiling.

There’s nothing more important than family, no matter how you make it.

Here is a beautiful newspaper article on Paul.

Consider making a donation to the Kindred Spirits 501(c)3 group to support the training of service dogs. Make checks out to Kindred Spirits Canine Education Center and send them to:

Terry Albert
14021 Earie Lane
Poway, CA 92064

(Top: The Patriot Guard brings Paul’s cremains into the service, courtesy of Kindred Spirits. Above: Memorial pin celebrating Paul and Archer, now on my travel bag.)

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