GOLDBERG, THE DOG For sixty years - from 1933 until the armory was demolished in 1993 - a taxidermied dog stood in a glass case near the east entrance to the armory. I first learned of this curious display when I initially met with Mary Ittelson. During my conversation with Helen Dunbeck, the dog in its display case came up again: After hearing this story, I wondered what happened to the dog in the display case. Some initial research revealed that the dog's name was Goldberg. To investigate further, I headed down to the building where I understood the Illinois National Guard had been relocated upon leaving the current MCA site. While canvassing the building, I met Major Kent Ketter who had only been at this location for a few years and knew nothing about Goldberg. The dog had not traveled to the new building. Major Ketter took me into the armory to introduce me to a man who had just begun working at the Chicago Avenue armory around the time of transitioning the grounds to the MCA. This man, Richard Guzman Barone, remembered Goldberg well: Major Ketter took me to his office and phoned down to the Illinois State Military Museum, where Guzman Barone said Goldberg had been sent: Goldberg, who in 1918 accompanied the 122nd Field Artillery in France, currently stands with soldiers in a museum display depicting a WWI bunker. |
 Goldberg circa 1918 wearing his service cape showing the crossed rifle insignia of the field artillery and the inverted chevron indicating war service. From the 1920 book, Illinois in the World War. Battery B of the 122nd Field Artillery was deployed to France in May 1918 They returned to Chicago exactly one year later. |
Chicago Tribune, May 5, 1919 FIRST UNITS WILL BE HERE ON TUESDAY Old 1st Cavalry Is Happy on Return from War  SCROLL TO THE RIGHT --------->>>> |
Chicago Tribune, December 3, 1917 |
Calumet Index, Chicago, July 11, 1919 |
(Continued from left.) The writer of this article has padded Goldberg's war exploits by adding several more battles than initially reported in May. Within three months of his return from France, Joseph Bach purchased Goldberg at a "fabulous price" for his twelve year old son, Milton. |
 Milton Bach had Goldberg for four months when his father Joseph advertised the dog as available for either sale or booking as a war hero, billed as "The Famous Dog-Veteran." By this time, Goldberg's service cape has accumulated another service stripe along with a wound stripe and a discharge chevron. He is identified as a Skye Terrier. |
Associated Press, August 14, 1929 |
Chicago Tribune, August 3, 1932  Honored at sixteen, Goldberg is now identified as an Irish terrier. |
 The picture, above, which appeared with the article at the right, shows the dying Goldberg as substantially smaller than his originally reported forty pounds. Also, unlike Joseph Bach's 1919 "Famous Dog-Veteran", according to the article, this Goldberg was taken by William McKleghan after the war. |
Chicago Tribune, December 1, 1933 |
Chicago Tribune, November 4, 1933 |
Chicago Tribune, May 14, 1960 Chicago Tribune, June 10, 1967  |
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