“Memoriae Tuae”

“Memoriae Tuae”
Martis nec gladius, belli nec ignis impiger
Vivum momentum unquam memoriae tuae consumet
Nor Mars his sword nor war’s quick fire shall burn
The living record of your memory*

Patrick Doyle wrote “Memoriae Tuae” as part of his score for the animated film, Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero, a 2018 computer-animated adventure film centering on the real-life Sergeant Stubby, a stray Bull Terrier who became a hero of World War I. Sergeant Stubby (1916–1926) was the official mascot of the 102nd Infantry Regiment (United States) and was assigned to the 26th (Yankee) Division in World War I. He served for 18 months and participated in 17 battles on the Western Front. He saved his regiment from surprise mustard gas attacks, found and comforted the wounded, and allegedly once caught a German soldier by the seat of his pants, holding him there until American soldiers found him. His actions were well-documented in contemporary American newspapers. Stubby has been called the most decorated war dog of WWI, and the only dog to be nominated for rank and then promoted to sergeant through combat. Stubby’s remains are in the Smithsonian Institution. —from Wikipedia

*Original text from “Sonnet 55” by William Shakespeare, Latin translation by Aidan Grounds and Alexandra Hamburger (from Fun Academy)

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This essay was first published here in June 2020.

The featured image is courtesy of Pixabay. The image of Sgt. Stubby is in the public domain, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.