About a month ago everyone watched as the Marine Corps’ new mascot, Chesty 14 was made a full Marine. Chesty, wore his uniform beautifully, walked with undeniable charisma and a bit of boldness, as he approached Gen James Amos then stopped.
Gen Amos barked the order, “Recruit Chesty, for the last time, report to the commandant of the Marine Corps!” Refusing to walk up to the General, even after being ordered for the last time, He was picked up and carried. You may be asking why a recruit would be carried. Well Chesty is a bull dog.
Gen. Amos, commandant of the Marine Corps, promoted the young bulldog from recruit to Private First Class and pinned on him the service’s symbol, the Eagle Globe and Anchor .
Throughout the entire ceremony, Sgt. Chesty 13 barked loudly, a sign, according to Marines watching the ceremony, that the bulldog was upset about no longer being the center of attention.
However, Gen. Amos finally offered Sgt. Chesty 13 a ringing endorsement telling the audience that the strong bulldog had gone nose to nose with Leon Panetta’s golden retriever Bravo who growled and tried to intimidate the higher ranking pooch. Panetta’s dog backed down.
Senior defense officials have warned that the new Chesty should be cautious of Chuck Hagels dog Figgie who is a Portuguese water dog might not be quite as demure as Bravo was.
The Marine Corps mascot tradition dates back to World War I when German news had called the attacking Marines “Devil-Dogs.” Later, a recruiting poster portrayed a snarling English bulldog wearing a Marine Corps helmet. The Marines loved it and unofficially adopted the English bulldog as their mascot in 1922.
In the late 1950's the Marine Barracks in Washington, the oldest post in the Corps, became the new home for the mascot and renamed Chesty to honor the legendary Lt. Gen. Lewis B. ‘Chesty’ Puller Jr.
As for the senior Chesty, when his service is done, he will retire and live permanently with his sponsor family, a Marine who plays in The United States Marine Band.
The newest edition is doing well at learning his new job at the Friday night parades taking place at 8th and I and will soon take over – that is until Chesty the 15th comes along.
