This pig, named King Neptune by a Navy Recruiter in 1942, became a major part of the U.S. war effort in World War II.
Dressed in a Navy blanket, the piglet was auctioned off to raise money for war bonds (people bid on pieces of the pork meat). The bidding was widespread and high - since meat was rationed during the war, many people wanted a piece of the pig. But although everyone paid their money when the auction was over, no one claimed their "piece of meat." The piglet was saved.
Although numerous auctions were held for King Neptune throughout the war, the pattern continued: lots of bidders, lots of money raised, but no one claimed the life of Neptune. So King Neptune went on to live until 1950, when he died of pneumonia and was buried in a grave (with plaque) befitting his status. (He raised 19 million dollars for the war effort - over 200 million in today's dollars.)
Date & Place:
at Illinois in Illinois United States
I love This story...it learns that all the animals are important e not only dogs and cats need respect :) Glad to read that sometimes humans can be full of mercy
Pets are loved members of the household just like family. There's a reason our pets are often called our 'best friends'.
Remembering the companions of our ancestors and those that comforted us in the past. Dog person? Cat person? That's usually the debate when it comes to pets. As of 2022, 70% of U.S. households have pe...
Coming out of the Great Depression, the world faced another challenge in the 1940's: World War II. Although the war began in the 1930's, it expanded and gained in ferocity (and atrocities) in the 194...
World War 2, the most widespread war in history so far, involved over 30 countries and 100 million people.
World War II (1939-1945) was a global conflict that involved the majority of the world's nations organized into two opposing alliances: the Allies and the Axis. The war began with the invasion of Pola...
I'm a Founder of AncientFaces and support the community answering questions & helping members make connections to the past (thus my official title of Founder & Content and Community Support ). For me, it's been a labor of love for over 20 years. I truly believe with all of my heart that everyone should be remembered for generations to come.
I am 2nd generation San Jose and have seen a lot of changes in the area while growing up. We used to be known as the "Valley of Heart's Delight" (because the Valley was covered with orchards and there were many canneries to process the food grown here, which shipped all over the US) - now we have adopted the nickname "Capital of Silicon Valley" and Apple, Ebay, Adobe, Netflix, Facebook, and many more tech companies are within a few miles of my current home in San Jose (including AncientFaces). From a small town of 25,000, we have grown to 1 million plus. And when you add in all of the communities surrounding us (for instance, Saratoga, where I attended high school, living a block from our previous Mayor), we are truly one of the big cities in the US. I am so very proud of my hometown. For more information see Kathy - Founder & Content and Community Director My family began AncientFaces because we believe that unique photos and stories that show who people are/were should be shared with the world.