My Dog Captain

August 2015

Dear Texas Aggie:

I enjoyed reading your article on the various Reveilles that have represented Texas A&M throughout the years in the May-June 2015 issue of the Texas Aggie. [Editor's Note: You can read that article here.]

I did however focus on Reveille II that represented us from 1952 to 1966 since I was a senior Yell Leader in 1952 when she returned to the campus and I have some interesting background on her and her puppies.

First here is an article that appeared in our Class of 1953 50th Year Book:

Reveille Returns to Aggieland

The original Reveille died after 12 years of faithful service on January 18, 1944. The Aggies were without a mascot until Reveille II, a purebred Shetland Shepherd arrived on campus on January 12, 1952.

Danny Howell of the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band gives this report on Reveille II:

The way I remember it is that sometime in the late winter or early spring of 1952, a group of folks brought the little collie puppy named Reveille II to Jimmy Bagley's and my room in Dorm 11 one night. I was the First Sergeant of the Maroon Band (The Field Artillery Band) and our outfit had won the General George Moore Trophy the previous year and naturally still held it.

The reason that they brought the puppy to us that night for us to keep and raise was this fact, i.e. The George Moore Trophy. This, as I remember it, is what we were told at that time. Jimmy and I kept Reveille II is our room for a few nights, then assigned her to one or two our sophomores.

(Later on "A" Quartermaster (which became Company E-2) took over responsibility for Reveille.)

The dog pretty much had the run of the campus during his first year and a half as this report from the December 10, 1952 Battalion indicates:

"REVEILLE "II" HAS ACCOMPLISHED SOMETHING WHICH HER PREDECESSOR WAS UNABLE TO DO. SHE IS THE MOTHER OF FIVE MALE AND FIVE FEMALE PUPS, BORN DECEMBER 5 IN THE SMALL ANIMAL CLINIC OF THE VETERINARY
MEDICINE HOSPITAL.
THE 10 OFFSPRING'S FROM THE A&M MASCOT ARE ALL DOING WELL SAID DR. CHARLES W. ZAHN OF THE CL1MC. ALL THE DOGS ARE MONGREL HE ADDED. ALTHOUGH THE MAJORITY IS BLACK AND WHITE OTHERS HAVE MORE COLORS, HE ADDED.

REVEILLE AND HER FLOCK WILL RETURN HOME LATER THIS WEEK TO THE BAND DORMITORY, DR. ZAHN SAID. "THE BAND PAID FOR THE COST OF MEDICINE AND OTHER EXPENSES SO I GUESS THE PUPS ARE GOING TOO," THE DOCTOR SAID."

(The Battalion included a photo of Reveille II with her brood of black and white puppies)

Now here is the rest of the story:

I attended Infantry Summer Camp for ROTC at Ft Benning, Georgia before my senior year. My tactical officer was an Airborne Major who really impressed me and influenced me into becoming a Regular Army Officer. He had a German shepherd with him all of the time and his name was "Major." I really liked that situation.
Well, when I returned from Camp to my home in Jacksonville, Texas, I found out that my mother had found a dog for me. It was a black and white mixed breed male about the size of Reveille.

Naturally I named the dog "Captain" and I took him to live with me in Aggie Land. I was Company Commander of Company B, Fish Infantry and lived with Captain and my late roommate Charlie Roper in Walton Hall. Captain had the run of the campus and my freshmen always had to speak to him and whup out and meet him if they did not know him. He was a smart dog. Since dogs had the run of the campus (Dogs were everywhere since it fit in with our culture: a boy needs a dog.), Captain came and went as he pleased.

Sometime I would not see him for days, but every time I went home, Captain would show up. He had a canine sense when I was going home. He was just plain smart. And as far as I can recall Captain was the only black and white dog on campus.

Well, it did not surprise me to find out that Reveille II had black and white puppies. I cannot prove it, but look at the photo of Captain and myself outside my home in Jacksonville. That’s all the proof one needs.

I went off to the service and Captain died when I was with the 10th Infantry Division in Bamberg, Germany.

I will always have a soft place in my heart for Captain and so will my wife. The first time we spent the night at my folk’s house after our wedding, Captain jumped in the bed to sleep with us much to the horror of Thelma Ruth.

Gig’em and God Bless the Aggies and all of the Reveilles, including Captain’s puppies.

Dukie Childs
Senior Yell Leader Class of 1953