Sailors and Dogs on the USS Yorktown

Scrappy the dog featured on award winning movie "The Fighting Lady"

Some facts and legend and now, for the first time, proof that Scrappy was just one of the dogs on board the USS Yorktown during her combat years.

Made at the height of World War II and considered one of the best documentaries of that time, this film records the life of the aircraft carrier Yorktown from her launching in 1943 through her victorious sweep across the Pacific--including unsurpassed color footage of a suicide attack by Kamikaze pilots. It received the Academy Award for Best Documentary as well as a Special Documentary Award from the New York Film Critics.

Scrappy the dog was in one scene; a pet of the pilots, aviators and ship's company as they waited for combat missions and when they were winding down after combat missions.

This release includes an update showing the Carrier Aviation's National Memorial Hall of Fame aboard the USS Yorktown CV-10. Narrated by Robert Taylor.

USA, 1944, Color, 57 minutes.

Scrappy is first Shanghaied and then goes AWOL

Incidentally, Dad had an interesting story about "Scrappy" the little mutt shown in the movie "The Fighting Lady." When the Yorktown was in port and the crew returned from shore leave, it was customary to bring a crate, box, trash can, barrel, or whatever was stacked up on the dock. That shortened the time for the work party to bring supplies aboard later.

Some Yorktown band members spotted this little pooch wandering around the docks of Pearl Harbor, and on the spur of the moment, caught the little fellow, put him in a trash can and stowed him away until the ship was out to sea for several hours. But, Scrappy didn't like being drafted into the US Navy. Some months later, when the Yorktown was in port again, Scrappy wandered off the ship...never to sail again.

Scrappy probably wasn't interested in all this "hero" stuff and just wanted to get away from all that "boom, boom, boom" all the time!

by Bernard Hartz , in memory of his father Bernard R. Hartz (1923-1992) MUS 2nd Class 1943-1945
Brendan Hartz

Occasionally you could see Scrappy walk between the planes parking on the flight deck. Scrappy was the ship's mascot. Unlike the large dogs seen on other ships, Scrappy was just a small dog. There was the reason for this; Scrappy was small enough to walk under the whirling propellers. He would jump at a plane, prance around it, and then walk off looking victorious. he had challenged the roaring, fire spitting monster, and it just sat there, afraid to attack him! The crew always brought Scrappy bits of food from the mess deck. With Scrappy around, the tensions of the war were sometimes eased.

Scrappy had his own "fire hose" and another version of "whatever happened to Scrappy?"
Sat Jul 24, 2004 9:20pm

A few months after this note was published in Sea-V-10, Aristotle Ares of South Miami, Fla. contacted me. He was another band member of the Yorktown, and shared many recollections of my father during his time on the Yorktown; some of it I was never aware of. One of these recollections was about Scrappy. Apparently, during some refueling/resupply time, a number of musicians were "sunbathing" on the flight deck. Scrappy was apparently with them. Scrappy apparently "baptized" one of the musicians in the face, earning the ire of several crewmen. Shortly afterwards, an army transport came alongside for supplies. When the musicians found that the transport was headed for Saipan, a quick "transfer" was arranged for Scrappy, and away he went to the beaches.

Willie says Scrappy was just one of the dogs on board USS Yorktown

The little dog Frank Hummel is holding in this photo didn’t have a name but he was a veteran when he came aboard. We don’t know how he got aboard USS Enterprise but we were told they put him on a trash lighter in Ulithi because they could never deck break him.

He made Mt. 6 & 8 gun deck his home after the lighter crew gave him to us.
We all loved the little guy and he tried to do right but no matter whereever he did his business somebody had to clean it up.

I believe he wound up somewhere in the Philippines.

To the best of my knowledge he and Scrappy were the only two dogs aboard during our time

Scrappy was a nickname. His full name was Scrapper Shrapnel. The only place I ever saw him was on the flight deck. He was a ship’s dog and a big shot when he was aboard.

Our little dog never rose above deck ape status. I don’t think the two dogs ever met.
Frank Hummel is holding No Name, Willie is on Hummel’s left, Check and Fosnaugh are standing behind us.