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"I'm
just a Dog Face Soldier,
with a rifle on my shoulder."
So go the words of the division's theme
song. Thanks to the creative genius of Walt Disney Productions, that
"Dog Face Soldier" was caricatured into a tan bulldog: "heroic, but
humble, fierce, but gentle, quick-witted and wise, with a confidence and
dignity that comes from having proved himself."
Major General Albert O. Connor, a Third
Division commander, visualized verbally what he wanted for a "Dog Face
Soldier," Walt Disney Productions complied and the caricature was
created.
All it cost was one dollar. The bull-dog
face soldier is the result of an exchange of letters between General
Connor and Walt Disney Productions. In one of his letters to Disney,
General Connor explained: "For many years, the 3rd Infantry Division has
been seeking a trademark based on the symbolism of the "Dog Face
Soldier." The term "dog face," he continued, "is an old one in our Army,
dating back to the Indian Wars."
The division received the final design of
the bull-dog face soldier in August 1965. Along with the drawing came a
contract granting exclusive and perpetual right and license to reproduce
the drawing. The one dollar bill provided by the Marne Association was
autographed by the division's Sergeants Major. Along with the
autographed bill, which was framed, a letter of thanks to Walt Disney
and his staff was sent for bringing to life the verbal conception of a
song.
Since then, generations of Marne Soldiers
have carried on the tradition of singing the division's song at morning
formations and other official functions. Upon joining the 3rd Infantry
Division, Soldiers are required to memorize the lyrics as part of the
proud Marne heritage. |
