his ritual of tours and soon was traveling by ferry to Fort Hamilton, Fort Wadsworth and the Army Building at Whitehall Street in downtown Manhattan. He became a well-known New York City celebrity. The New York Times carried a number of articles about him. Jack Rohan's book about him was published in 1930. More newspaper and magazine articles followed. Rags was presented with a number of medals and awards. In 1928, he marched down Broadway with the 1st Division troops as part of the division's 10th anniversary of World War I reunion. Numerous New York politicians and U.S. Army generals had their pictures taken with Rags. From 1928 until 1934, Rags lived with the Hardenberghs at Fort Hamilton. Death In 1934, Hardenbergh, by then a lieutenant colonel, was transferred to Washington, D.C. to serve in the War Department. Little is known of Rags over the next two years. In March 1936, Hardenbergh informed Fort Hamilton and the 1st Division that Rags had died. He was 20 years old. Rags was buried with military honors, and a monument was erected at the Aspin Hill Memorial Park in Silver Spring, Maryland near the Hardenbergh home. Unique behavior In addition to his message-carrying skills in France during World War I, Rags had a number of other unique behaviors. When Rags was first in the front lines and came under shellfire, he simply imitated the men around him who would drop to the ground and hug it tightly. Before long, the soldiers observed Rags hugging the ground with his paws spread out before anyone heard the sound of an incoming round. The men soon realized that Rags' acute and sensitive hearing was telling him when the shells were coming well before they could hear them. The doughboys learned to keep their eyes on Rags, and he became an early-warning system for artillery shell fire. During a rest period behind the lines, James Donovan taught Rags a method of dog saluting that Rags would use for the rest of his military life. Instead of extending his paw out to shake hands, as most dogs were taught, Rags would raise his paw a bit higher and close to his head. For many years afterward, Rags would appear at the flag pole at various military bases for the retreat ceremony. As the flag was lowered and the bugle played, Rags could be seen saluting with the assembled