--- title: "This hard-drinking salty Coast Guard sea dog was banned from Greenland" description: "Sinbad was just supposed to be a gift for a girlfriend, but instead, the salty dog went on to become the Coast Guard's most famous mascot." date: "2021-06-15" modified: "2021-06-16" authors: - name: "Blake Stilwell" job_title: "Editor-In-Chief, Air Force Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/blake/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/popular/sinbad-hard-drinking-salty-coast-guard-sea-dog-was-banned-from-greenland/" categories: - "Coast Guard" - "History" - "War History" --- # This hard-drinking salty Coast Guard sea dog was banned from Greenland ![]() One enlisted Coastie mutt – no disrespect, Sinbad was a "mixed breed" – earned a reputation that rivaled any sailor's in any war before or since. He was one of only two non-humans to reach NCO status, even making Chief by the time of his retirement. --- Sinbad was arguably the Coast Guard's most famous mascot. He was enlisted into the USCG by Chief Boatswain's Mate A. A. "Blackie" Rother of the *Campbell*. Sinbad was supposed to be a gift for Blackie's girlfriend, but her building didn't allow pets, so Rother took the dog back to the Cutter *George W. Campbell*. ![]() *U.S. Coast Guard photo* A full-fledged member of the crew of the *Campbell*, Sinbad had to fill out his paperwork, wear his uniform, and was given pay commensurate with his rank. When World War II broke out in the Atlantic, Sinbad wasn't about to play dead when it mattered most. The dog wasn't just for fun. He had a watch, a general quarters duty station, and his own bunk. Sinbad certainly didn't roll over for anyone. When the Coast Guard wanted to use him as a PR tool in allied ports, the pup raised hell from Morocco to Greenland. ![]() *Especially Greenland. (U.S. Coast Guard photo)* The *Campbell* saw plenty of action. She once rammed an enemy U-boat and was also strafed by a Nazi aircraft in the Mediterranean. During a fight with U-606, the ship was severely damaged and the CO ordered that essential personnel only would remain on the *Campbell.* Sinbad stayed aboard ship. Signing his enlistment papers with a pawprint, he served on Atlantic convoy duty with the rest of the *Campbell* crew. Just like a sailor, he had to be disciplined. One author wrote: "Sinbad is a salty sailor but he's not a good sailor. He'll never rate gold hashmarks nor Good Conduct Medals. He's been on report several times and he's raised hell in a number of ports. On a few occasions, he has embarrassed the United States Government by creating disturbances in foreign zones. Perhaps that's why Coast Guardsmen love Sinbad, he's as bad as the worst and as good as the best of us." ![]() *U.S. Coast Guard photo* The precocious pup *did* earn medals, however. His awards include the American Defense Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, and Navy Occupation Service Medal. The crew loved Sinbad, even if no one really took responsibility for the dog. They said he earned his enlistment by drinking coffee, [whiskey with beer chasers](), and having his own shore liberty. He was reportedly the first off the ship at every port. ![]() *Sinbad presumably waiting for the whiskey.* He would hit the bars hard, hopping up on empty bar stools, where his whiskey and beer habit was tended to by every bar in the area. He never paid for a drink but returned the ship "[bombed]()" every night, with only an aspirin to tend to his hangover the next day. Sometimes his drinking led to a Captain's Mast. He was demoted in rank for actions that generally made him a bad dog. These include: • Missing a sailing in Italy; captured by the Shore Patrol. • AWOL trying to rejoin the *Campbell.* • Going overboard trying not to miss a sailing. ![]() *Sinbad recovering from shore leave.* His most notorious trial was being [banned from the island of Greenland]() altogether. During one port call, Sinbad "made his name infamous among sheep farmers." Captain James Hirschfield told the media that as long as Sinbad was aboard, nothing bad could happen to the ship. In a nod to Capt. Hirschfield's statement, a statue of Sinbad is on the deck of the current Famous-class Cutter *Campbell*. It is considered bad luck for anyone below the rank of Chief to touch Sinbad or his bone. ![]() *Wikimedia Commons* In his retirement days, the aging pup was sent to Barnegat Lifeboat Station in northern New Jersey, After 11 years of service. He slept, watched the ocean, and waited for Kubel's Bar to open in the mornings until he died in 1951. ## Author Blake Stilwell is We Are The Mighty's Editor-in-Chief, covering military news, entertainment, and history, along with veteran education, employment and entrepreneurship. He is a former U.S. Air Force combat cameraman with degrees in Graphic Design, Television and Film, International Relations, Public Relations, Business Management and Middle Eastern Affairs. After leaving the military, he began working in film and television production in New York and Los Angeles, work that included ABC News, NBC Olympics, and HBO Sports. He then spent two years in Washington with White House Communications, before joining the Near East Foundation. At NEF he served as an International Development Fellow, then Communications Officer, and finally, Media Officer for the Middle East and Africa. Based in the Palestinian Territory, he coordinated strategic communications between eight country offices, international media, and government and NGO partners. He began a career focused on writing and editing in 2015 with We Are The Mighty. He left in 2019 for Military.com, but returned as Editor-in-Chief in 2025. Blake’s work has been seen on CBS News, Fox News, CBC, The Chicago Tribune, Task & Purpose, Military Times, Recoil, Skillset, American History, and was shockingly even used in a Supreme Court argument. He is an avid traveler and small business owner in Ohio, where he spends most of his energy fixing up a very old house. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Twitter]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()