Grave of Sinbad the Dog

It wasn’t uncommon for ships to carry pets during World War II, but it is not every day that a maritime mascot gets its own monument.

Sinbad, a mixed breed dog that served for seven years aboard the Campbell, a Coast Guard ship that defended American convoys during World War II, is one of the most beloved American mascots. According to several articles, the pup was treated like a full member of the crew. Sinbad had his own uniform and service record, and allegedly joined the Coast Guard by signing enlistment papers with his pawprint.

When the Campbell was almost sunk by a German U-boat in 1943, Sinbad became a media sensation featuring in stories by the New York Times and Life magazine, which defined him as a “liberty-rum-chow-hound, with a bit of bulldog, Doberman pinscher, and what-not. Mostly what-not.” 

During his time aboard the Campbell, the canine hero was awarded six medals including the American Defense Service Medal and the World War II Victory Medal, all of which were attached to its collar. After his death, a granite monument was erected in his honor at the base of the flagpole at Barnegat Light Station, a decommissioned lighthouse now serving as a Coast Guard emergency operations center in Barnegat Light, New Jersey.