A group of Polish soldiers bought a bear cub from a boy on a road in Iran. They bottle-fed him, named him Wojtek, and taught him to carry boxes. No pets allowed on the ship to Italy - so they drafted him. He became a private with a serial number and paybook. At Monte Cassino he watched the men haul shells and started doing it himself - walked crates on his hind legs to the guns, never dropped one. He was promoted to corporal. His old comrades visited. Threw cigarettes in.

A group of Polish soldiers bought a bear cub from a boy on a road in Iran. They bottle-fed him, named him Wojtek, and taught him to carry boxes. No pets allowed on the ship to Italy - so they drafted him. He became a private with a serial number and paybook. At Monte Cassino he watched the men haul shells and started doing it himself - walked crates on his hind legs to the guns, never dropped one. He was promoted to corporal. His old comrades visited. Threw cigarettes in.