Before he became a war hero, Sergeant Stubby was just a stray dog wandering around a military training camp in 1917. Soldiers from an American infantry regiment stationed at Yale University took a liking to the little Boston Terrier mix, especially a private named Robert Conroy, who eventually smuggled Stubby aboard a ship headed for Europe during World War I. What started as a mascot situation quickly turned into something much bigger once the dog reached the front lines in France. Stubby learned to recognize incoming artillery before soldiers could hear it themselves, barked warnings during mustard gas attacks, and reportedly woke sleeping troops moments before bombardments hit. In one of the wildest stories attached to him, he even chased down and helped capture a German spy by clamping onto the man’s pants until American soldiers arrived.

By the end of the war, Stubby had served in 17 battles, survived injuries and gas exposure, and become one of the most decorated dogs in military history. After returning home, Stubby became a full-blown celebrity, marching in parades, meeting presidents, and touring the country as a symbol of American troops returning from the war.

Before he became a battlefield legend, Chips was just a family dog from New York, a German Shepherd, Collie, and Husky mix who got donated to the Army after the United States entered World War II. He ended up attached to the 3rd Infantry Division and followed American troops through North Africa, Sicily, Italy, France, and Germany. But the moment that made him famous happened during the invasion of Sicily in 1943. American soldiers were pinned down by machine-gun fire coming from an enemy bunker when Chips suddenly broke free from his handler and charged the position completely alone. Seconds later, the gunfire stopped. Troops rushed forward and found Chips inside the bunker attacking the enemy soldiers so aggressively that four Italian troops surrendered

Even after being wounded during the attack, Chips kept serving alongside the men he fought with, earning a reputation as both fearless and slightly unpredictable. Soldiers loved him because he was genuinely useful in combat, and stories about him spread quickly through the ranks. He was awarded honors including the Silver Star and Purple Heart, though the Army later revoked them because military policy technically didn’t allow animals to receive official medals. After the war, Chips returned home to his original family.

Smoky was a tiny Yorkshire Terrier who became one of the most famous and unlikely heroes of World War II. She weighed only about four pounds and was found abandoned in a foxhole in New Guinea by an American soldier in 1944. Eventually, she ended up with Army Air Forces Corporal Bill Wynne, who trained her to do tricks and carry messages around camp. What nobody expected was that this tiny dog would end up helping save lives during the war.

Smoky’s most legendary moment came when engineers needed to run a telegraph wire through a narrow underground pipe beneath an airstrip. Digging up the runway would have taken days and exposed troops to enemy fire, so Wynne tied the wire to Smoky and sent her crawling through the 70-foot pipe. She made it through perfectly, saving an enormous amount of time and manpower. Beyond that, Smoky accompanied troops on combat missions, survived typhoons and air raids, and became a huge morale booster for wounded soldiers in hospitals. Many people also credit her as one of the first documented therapy dogs because of the comfort she brought to injured servicemen during and after the war.

We went and found out if Civil War reenactments rule. Here’s what we found:

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