Every army runs on rank — privates, corporals, sergeants. During World War I, a stray dog named Stubby joined an American infantry unit, survived 17 battles, and even sniffed out incoming gas attacks. His unit thought he'd earned something. What did Stubby officially become? The first dog given an honorary citizenship A sergeant — believed to be the first dog promoted to rank in the U.S. Army A four-star general The official mascot of the entire U.S. Army None In October 1918, a battalion of American soldiers was trapped behind enemy lines in France — and getting shelled by their own side, who didn't know they were there. With radios down and runners cut off, their last hope flew away on tiny wings. What animal got the message through? A trained falcon A homing pigeon named Cher Ami A messenger dog A cavalry horse None The U.S. Marines have had exactly one animal awarded an official rank — and it wasn't a dog. This particular Marine carried ammunition through enemy fire in the Korean War, learned the route well enough to make supply runs alone, and retired with a staff sergeant's stripes. What kind of animal was it? A mule A German shepherd A horse A camel None The U.S. Navy still keeps a team of marine mammals on active duty in San Diego. One of their key jobs is finding underwater mines that are nearly invisible to machines. What gives these animals an edge that the Navy's best sonar technology still can't match? They can hold their breath for over an hour Their natural biological sonar They can detect the smell of explosives underwater They glow faintly in dark water None Britain has its own "Victoria Cross" just for animals — the Dickin Medal, the highest honor a war animal can receive. Since 1943 it's gone to dogs, horses, a ship's cat, and one other animal that earned it more than 30 times. Which animal is the surprise heavyweight on that list? Pigeons Mules Elephants Dolphins None Here's a stumper from the "they actually tried this" file. During World War II, the U.S. military spent real money and years of effort on a secret weapon that involved strapping tiny incendiary devices to thousands of live animals. Which animal was the unlikely star of this plan? Squirrels Bats Hawks Rats None Time's up
