A Changing of the Guard Dogs
With a promotion, a commendation and a pat on the rump, the Marine Corps’ top dog on the West Coast was sent into retirement Friday.
Po Boy’s Smokin’ Joe, an English bulldog with a sweet personality and an occasionally fierce countenance, was retired with full honors in a ceremony with a band, color guard and farewell speech by a general.
“I spoke to Joe this morning,” Maj. Gen. Jan C. Huly told a gathering of several hundred at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot. “He said, ‘If only I could explain to the audience: It’s been a great ride, I’ve enjoyed being a Marine and I’ve enjoyed contributing to the Marine Corps.’ ”
Huly promoted Smokin’ Joe from corporal to sergeant, awarded him a meritorious service medal and wished him farewell as he heads for retirement in Tennessee with one of his former Marine Corps handlers.
Dogs and fighting men have been inseparable since Hector took a pup into combat, but no military service honors its dogs more than the Marine Corps.
The corps adopted the English bulldog as its official symbol after World War I when German soldiers, marveling at the Marines’ tenacity at the battle of Belleau Wood, labeled their enemies hounds of hell.
In 1921, Gen. Smedley Butler, a two-time Medal of Honor winner, brought Jiggs, an English bulldog, to Marine Corps headquarters in Quantico, Va., and a tradition was born. To this day, Marines refer to one another as “devil dogs.”
While there are numerous dogs as mascots in bases worldwide, only three bulldogs have official status, complete with identification card, service number, rank and, yes, dog tag. Their duties involve public relations and building morale. Besides the one at the recruit depot here, other official canines are at the recruit depot at Parris Island in South Carolina and at the Marine Barracks in Washington.
For six years, Smokin’ Joe has attended every graduation ceremony for new recruits, gone on recruiting trips, and reviewed the troops. He is the most photographed individual--animal or human--ever to serve at this depot.
Pushing 8 years old, Smokin’ Joe, at a compact 52 pounds, has some arthritis in his hindquarters and is not the frisky fellow he once was. English bulldogs rarely live past 10 years.
His name was a combination of the kennel in Oklahoma City where he was born (Po Boy’s) and the nickname of the heavyweight boxer Joe Frazier.
His replacement is Pvt. Mac. As Smokin’ Joe was being retired, Mac was being sworn in.
Joe is a Marine but he is also a dog and there were instances of doggy behavior during his time in uniform. He once acted badly while left alone in the quarters of a visiting VIP. His promotability suffered. “He was a lance corporal a long time,” said Dan Powers, his former handler.