Raymond W. Hardenbergh '98: Service, Leadership, and the Legacy of Rags
Raymond W. Hardenbergh, also a member of PMC’s Class of 1898, left campus prior to Commencement to serve in the Spanish-American War. A Cadet Lieutenant at the time, he enlisted as a private in Company E of the 13th Pennsylvania Infantry, joining the regiment at Camp Hastings. Like his fellow cadets who entered military service, Hardenbergh received his degree in civil engineering.

From the 13th Pennsylvania, Hardenbergh went on to serve with the Army Corps of Engineers in Cuba under Colonel Edgar Jadwin, where he was appointed a Second Lieutenant in the regular army. His military career expanded further as he participated in the Philippine Insurrection. During World War I, he served as brigade adjutant with the 159th Brigade, 80th Division, American Expeditionary Forces.

Hardenbergh is perhaps best remembered not only for his service, but for his connection to “Rags,” the famed war dog and mascot of the 1st Infantry Division. Rags, a mixed-breed terrier discovered in Paris by Sergeant James Donovan, was trained to carry messages between front-line units. During the Meuse-Argonne Campaign, Rags delivered a critical message despite being bombed, gassed, and partially blinded—an act that saved many lives and brought him widespread recognition.

After the war, both Donovan and Rags returned to the United States, where Donovan later died in 1919. Rags remained at Fort Sheridan, Illinois, where gas victims were being treated. When Major Hardenbergh arrived at Fort Sheridan the following year, he and his family adopted Rags, providing a home for the decorated war dog.

In 1924, Hardenbergh was transferred to Governor’s Island in New York Harbor, home of the 1st Infantry Division, where Rags became something of a celebrity in Manhattan. Hardenbergh was later transferred to the War Department in 1934. Rags died in 1936 and was buried with full military honors; a monument was erected in his memory at Aspen Hill Memorial Park and Animal Sanctuary in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Colonel Raymond W. Hardenbergh died on February 3, 1949.

Share link - http://pmc.widener.edu/pmc/legacies/cadets/raymond-w-hardenbergh-98-service-leadership-and-legacy-rags