Dog Names Meaning Courage

Gander was a huge, black Newfoundland dog who was once named Pal. He was a pet who accidentally scratched the face of a small child in play. Pal's owner panicked and was afraid that this beautiful dog would have to be put down, so he decided to give Pal to The Royal Rifles of Canada, which was a regiment of the Canadian Army. The regiment was stationed at Gander International Airport in Newfoundland. The soldiers started to call the dog Gander and even promoted him to the rank of sergeant. Soon the unit was shipped out to Hong Kong in 1941 to fight in the battles of World War II. The dog was also dispatched with the regiment. 

After arriving in China, Gander would experience battle three times. On all three occasions, he bravely fought the Japanese invaders. However, in the last fight, one of the Japanese troops threw a grenade. Gander immediately scooped up the weapon in his large mouth and started to run towards the enemy soldiers. He died in the ensuing explosion but saved the lives of his Canadian comrades. 

On October 27, 2000, Gander was posthumously awarded the Dickin Medal. The Dickin Medal is equivalent to the Victoria Cross. The citation on the award reads, "For saving the lives of Canadian infantrymen during the Battle of Lye Mun on Hong Kong Island in December 1941. On three documented occasions, Gander, the Newfoundland mascot of The Royal Rifles of Canada, engaged the enemy as his regiment joined The Winnipeg Grenadiers, members of Battalion Headquarters "C" Force and other Commonwealth troops in their courageous defense of the island. Twice Gander's attacks halted the enemy's advance and protected groups of wounded soldiers. In a final act of bravery, the war dog was killed in action gathering a grenade. Without Gander's intervention, many more lives would have been lost in the assault." 

Gander's name was also listed with the 1,975 men and women who are engraved on the Hong Kong Veterans Memorial Wall located in Ottawa, Canada. On July 23, 2015, a lifesize statue of Gander and his handler was placed at the Gander Heritage Memorial Park in Gander, Newfoundland to commemorate the dog's courage and dedication during the war. Gander is also depicted on the Forgotten Heroes monument located at Bass River, Nova Scotia. The memorial was designed by 11-year-old Noah Tremblay. The sculpture of the heroic dog was created by Nova Scotia sculpture Clifton Sears. 

Undoubtedly, Gander has gone down in history as a courageous dog who gave the ultimate sacrifice to keep his humans safe.