I posted this a year and a half ago about Chesty, the retired Marine Corps mascot.
"Years ago in a land far away, well, actually on Plymouth Road in Alexandria Virginia, Buster and I were walking home from Fort Hunt Park. When I retired from the World’s Greatest Navy, I moved from Ft. Belvoir housing to a house in the best neighborhood I’ve ever lived in. The house was old and had some issues but the rent was affordable and my son could finish his last two years of high school from there. All the old, original houses on that road today including mine have been replaced by mini-mansions that go from three to six million dollars. The ‘hood is less than 10 miles from DC and sits on George Washington’s River Farm.
Back to the day when Buster and I were walking from the park. We were strolling up the quiet street and suddenly a bulldog came waddling up to us. My dog Buster was doing social distancing a long time ago and he really doesn’t like other dogs and people now at almost 13 years old. This bulldog had no collar but was friendly and so ugly he was cute and followed us to my house. I got Buster settled with a snack and put a collar and leash on our new friend and we started back down he street. I for sure figured a neighbor would be out looking for a lost little ugly dog. Nobody. He and I went up and down the street and on the way home I noticed an open door and went up and knocked. A lady came to the door and said, “Oh, that’s Chesty.” Huh, I said. She said, yeah, that’s Chesty, he retired from the Marine Corps yesterday.
Chesty had been the mascot of the USMC and literally had a retirement ceremony the day before at Marine Barracks Washington. The nice neighbor lady lived next door to a married man and woman who were members of the President’s Own, the US Marine Band. They had been the care takers of Chesty XII and were now his forever owners. She told me that Chesty got out of the fence often and she would take care of him until the owners got home. I said OK and left him there. Later that day the male member of the couple showed up at my door and gave me back the collar I had put on his dog. He said thanks for taking care of Chesty and I said you’re welcome and he went home.
I’ve met and seen numerous celebrities, famous people, athletes, and government leaders in my 22 years in Northern Virginia and DC but my few minutes with that dog is one of the highlights of that time."
en.m.wikipedia.org