The Bear Who Went to War (Wojtek)
True, odd moments from history, told short and checked against at least two sources.
The story
Iran, 1942. Polish soldiers headed for the Middle East find an orphaned bear cub in the mountains, and take him in. They call him Wojtek, "joyful warrior," and he becomes the mascot of an artillery supply company. In 1944 the company ships out for Italy. To bring him along, they give Wojtek a name, a rank, and a number.
At Monte Cassino, soldiers say he carried crates of shells from the trucks to the guns. A British soldier said he could hardly believe his eyes. The company's badge became a bear carrying a shell. After the war, Wojtek retired to Edinburgh Zoo. Old Polish soldiers came to visit, and he perked right up when they spoke Polish.
Wojtek lived to 1963. Today a bronze statue of him stands in Edinburgh.