Weird California
Weird California
Weird California - By Joe Parzanese

Old Sarge

Map Dog Hero of World War II
19542 Beach Boulevard, Huntington Beach, California 92648

Old Sarge received the Purple Heart and Silver Star.
Old Sarge received the Purple Heart and Silver Star.

Old Sarge
Old Sarge

Sarge also known as Major Von Luckner III was one of the Marine Corp Devil Dogs. He was a German Shepherd who served in World War II and was officially credited with saving the lives of nine people during the fighting in the South Pacific. He served in the military for five years during which he received nine citations, including a Purple Heart with two clusters and the Silver Star. He was wounded three times and even had a silver plate in his head.

He died in 1961 at the age of 20 and is now buried in a Sea Breeze Pet Cemetery in Huntington Beach. His funeral was a full military one complete with a fifteen gun salute. There is now a statue to him on a pedestal in the cemetery. The pedestal stating: "Dedicated to Old Sarge World War II Hero U.s. Marine Corps." He was believed to be the last of the old World War II dogs.

There is supposedly a display inside the cemetery office featuring Old Sarge's medals, a photo of him in his dress blues, and a telegram from then California Governor Edmund Gerald "Pat" Brown.

Old Sarge was born April 16, 1941 and passed away after a long heroic life on May 17, 1961.

In addition to the normal family pets, the cemetery is mostly dogs and cats, Sea Breeze Pet Cemetery also contains the remains of a chicken, a skunk, a raccoon, a turtle, an 89 year old bird, and a monkey.

Old Sarge
Old Sarge
Old Sarge
Old Sarge
Old Sarge
Old Sarge



Closest Weird

First Created: 2015-01-26
Last Edited: 2015-01-27


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