Pat was the name of the dog who was the mascot of the 314th Infantry from 1918 to his death in Sunbury, Pennsylvania in 1932. After his death, Pat was taken to a taxidermist and then delivered to the Log Cabin at Valley Forge. A few years ago, he was again delivered to a taxidermist in the area for refreshing, after over 60 years in the museum. Pat has returned and continues to reside with the rest of the 314th items and plaque.

Pat was found by the men of Company "M" after an attack on the Germans. The Germans apparently had abandoned the dog as they retreated. As the story goes, he was taken back to Company "M" but he just continued to refuse to make friends with any of them. He glowered at them, snapped and showed his teeth. They tried to win him over by kindness but when that didn't work they resorted to harshness and even beatings, but nothing seemed to work. Finally one of the members of the Regiment who spoke German asked whether he might try his hand with him. The soldier said a few words to Pat in German and the dog instantly obeyed. The soldier even taught him the German manual of arms. They took him out at guard mount and he performed as a regular soldier. By that time he was the idol of the Regiment. He lived on the cream of the land. He dined on pork chops and chicken from the Officer's Mess. The enlisted men were often tempted to cry foul.

When the time came to go home, orders went out that no pets were to be taken back to the United States. The Company laid plans to get Pat out of France by any and all means. One of the Officers smuggled Pat on board the Princess Matoika and their plan seemed on the way to success. For a time the Red Cross girls stole Pat away, but the Company got him back. Pat was also imprisoned for a time in the Guard House. Later he had his own suite in a Philadelphia hotel, and finally he broke the Pennsylvania Railroad's rule against pets riding in their coaches and arrived aboard the Day Coach to Sunbury.

His comrades never forgot him and he always had a friendly greeting for them at the Reunions he attended. He had learned to respond to English as well as German and answered questions by wagging the stub of his tail. He learned many tricks, such as jumping through a hoop and shaking hands. When the Star Spangled Banner was played, he would respond with a wag of his tail.

While in Sunbury, Pat stayed with his pal, John Stroh of Company "M" for a number of years until John was forced to move to Belvidere, New Jersey, for his health. By that time, Pat had developed a strong fondness for Mr. Stroh.s landlady in Sunbury, Mrs. Leo Finch, so he remained with her.

Thus, after the roar of the battle was over and he was safely settled down in Sunbury, Pennsylvania, Pat continued a quiet and well ordered life of ease and retirement, the likes of which many a wounded veteran might envy.

Iraq war dog to retire with fallen Marine's family

Story Highlights

• Attack in Iraq kills Marine Cpl. Dustin Lee, injures military dog Lex
• Lex didn't want to leave Lee's side despite his injuries
• Lee's family succeeds in adopting Lex after lobbying for months
• Lex officially retires from military Friday to live with Lee family in Mississippi

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-- A U.S. military dog whose handler and best friend was killed in Iraq got a new assignment on Friday -- retirement with the late Marine's family.

It took the family months of lobbying to get the adoption approved by the military.

Lex was beside Cpl. Dustin Lee when Lee was killed in a mortar attack in Falluja.

In spite of his injuries, the dog didn't want to leave Lee's side after the attack, according to the Marine's father. Other Marines reportedly had to pull the dog away from the young man's body so medics could reach him.

Although some shrapnel remains in his body, Lex recovered from his wounds and returned to duty at the Marine Corps Logistics Base in Albany, Georgia.

Friday, the 8-year-old bomb-sniffing German shepherd was turned over to Lee's family to live out the rest of his life in Quitman, Mississippi.

"This is to certify that military working dog Lex, having served faithfully and honorably, was ischarged from the United States Marine Corps on this 21st day of December 2007," a Marine read at a ceremony interrupted by occasional barks.

Afterward, Jerome Lee, Dustin Lee's father, crouched down and shook Lex's paw.

Lex seemed oblivious to his 15 minutes of fame as he lay at the feet of a Marine during most of the ceremony.

Jerome Lee had lobbied hard for months to adopt the dog. Marine officials initially told Lee that it would be no problem to get the dog. But persuading the service to give up Lex before the dog's mandatory retirement at age 10 proved to be a challenge.

"Since Dustin's death we've been trying to get his dog, Lex, from the Marine Corps, and needless to say we've had some difficulty there," said Lee, a Mississippi Highway Patrol officer. "This thing went from colonels to generals all the way up to the commandant of the Marine Corps, and it almost went to the secretary of defense."

One issue was making sure the dog was not "overly aggressive." His behavior with the Lee youngsters -- Lex played tug of war with 13-year-old Camryn at his brother's funeral -- seemed to assure that wouldn't be a problem. Marine officials also said the request had to go through the Air Force, which is the approving authority for all military dogs.

Finally, on December 13, the Marines agreed to let Lex go live with Lee's family. It was the first time the Marines have released a dog before its retirement to a former handler's family.

"Lex has had two tours in Iraq," Jerome Lee said. "He's been through a lot, and we just want to get Lex home to our family and let him have a happy life."

Well before joining the Marines, Dustin Lee was known for his devotion to his country. A member of Quitman High School's cross-country track team, Lee and three teammates participated in the Americans United: Flag Across America Run after the September 11, 2001, attacks.

It was no surprise when the young man joined the Marines out of high school in 2004, nor when he went to Albany to train military police dogs. He reportedly was inspired by his mother's work with search and rescue team dogs when he was a boy.

An animal lover who also rode horses, the boy played hide-and-seek with his mother's dog, Jerome Lee said.

"He would let the dog get a sniff of his clothing and then go hide to see if the dog could find him," the elder Lee said.

At the logistics base in Albany, Lee said, he "worked with all the dogs and became the kennel master."

The Marine and Lex had been stationed in Falluja for nearly five months before the fatal attack. When the Marine's body was returned to Quitman in March, hundreds lined the streets waving American flags to say a tearful goodbye. And Lex was there.

In Albany on Thursday, kennel master Mike Reynolds led Lex through his paces for the last time in his military career. But it's time for the old pro to learn some new tricks in civilian life.

Jerome Lee said he hopes Lex's presence will make his other two children feel closer to their missing older brother.

"There's always going to be that missing link with Dusty gone," he said. "But part of Dusty is here with Lex."