Five-month-old Pvt. Bruno seemed to recognize the importance of his new position as he walked to the front of the formation to report to the general at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego to accept his role as the face of recruiting for the Western United States.
Pvt. Bruno is now one of three Marine Corps bulldog mascots.
Standing at attention under the watchful eye of Brig. Gen. Jason Morris, Bruno behaved well and “walked and sat” when he was supposed to, said his handler Sgt. Tyler Abbott.
During the relief and appointment ceremony held on Friday, April 21, Pvt. Bruno, dressed in his “blues,” was welcomed and given his oath to perform his new duties at the best of his ability. The ceremony preceded the graduation of 298 recruits who have earned the title of Marine.
Gen. Smedley Butler first created the mascot for a Marine Corps football team when he adopted an English bulldog known as Jiggs in 1921. The other two mascots are at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island in South Carolina and at Marine Barracks Washington D.C.
There have been bulldog mascots at the San Diego depot for nearly 80 years. Typically a dog serves four years and on Friday, Cpl. Manny, named for Sgt. Johnny R. Manuelito, was retiring after his service for about that long.
The breed of the bulldog was selected by Butler following German propaganda showing U.S. Marines looking like “Teufel Hunde,” or devil dogs, after the Battle of Belleau Wood in World War I.
Teufel Hunde were the wild and ferocious dogs of Bavarian folklore, military historians have written. And a recruiting poster painted by Charles Falls showed a Dachshund wearing a spiked helmet and Iron Cross running away from a mean-looking bulldog wearing the Marine Corps’ globe and anchor insignia. Written on the poster was, “Teufelhunden – Devil Dog Recruiting Station.” The poster was embraced by the Marine Corps and the public.
“Marines have a huge love for the mascot,” said Abbott. “When we bring him around the depot, we always get lots of people. There’s a sense of pride when Marines see them.”
Cpl. Manny served honorably and attended about 200 events, Cpl. Max Noel said, whether it was a local sports match or just getting out into the community. The bulldog, dressed in the same uniform as his handler, was always a showstopper.
“Wherever we can spread the word of the Marine Corps, he’s the face for recruiting for this side of the country,” Noel said.
As for his retirement, Noel said Cpl. Manny seems excited to no longer have to wake up at 4 a.m. “He won’t have to get dressed in his uniform every day,” he added, “and he can eat chow anytime he wants and not be held to such high fitness standards.”
Cpl. Manny will go to live in Pennsylvania with Master Sgt. Sheila Brooks, who herself is retiring after nearly 20 years in the Marines. She most recently served at the depot in communications.
When a mascot retires, the depot’s commanding general makes sure the dog goes to a worthy home. Brooks was selected because “for Manny, she’s his special human; I can vouch for that,” said Noel.
Fallbrook-born, Pvt. Bruno was hand selected by a team of Marines with the military police’s K9 program who visited breeders in Southern California to find the puppy with a perfect demeanor, which meant he had to be “outgoing and friendly.”
“He’s still a puppy, and he has his times, but he’s showing good progress,” Abbott said, confident in his new charge and his own roll as the one that makes sure Pvt. Bruno is well-fed, exercised and arrives at his events on time.
Pvt. Bruno is named after Maj. Gen. Bruno Hochmuth, who was the first general officer killed during the Vietnam War. Hochmuth was also the commanding general of the depot from November 1963 to February 1967. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit with Combat “V” (Valor), the Navy Commendation Medal with Gold Star in lieu of a second award, and the Purple Heart with Gold Star.
Dick Nagle, who was a first lieutenant when he shipped off to the Vietnam War with the 3rd Tank Battalion in 1967, recalls the story of Hochmuth and said he appreciates the mascot’s nod to the Marine Corps’ long history.
“It just shows how the Marine Corps has a lot of traditions,” the Laguna Hills veteran said. “We’re proud of our history, and we like to continue the thread.
“The bulldog is a part of our history,” he said.
Owen Litfin, also a Marine who served in the infantry during Vietnam, said the bulldog is a great mascot because “he’ll always go forward and never retreat.”
“He’s not the best-looking animal out there, but the Marines aren’t the best-looking either,” Litfin, also of Laguna Hills, joked. “But they’re strong and healthy if you feed them right.”
Source: Orange County Register
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