BARK Ranger Stop 1: George Marshall and Pontiac

The first stop on the self-guided BARK Ranger tour.

NPS Photo, artwork by Pamela Gunn

Quick Facts

Amenities

2 listed

Parking - Auto, Pets Allowed

When General George C. Marshall arrived at Vancouver Barracks in September 1936 to take command of a brigade of the 3rd Division, he’d asked for a quiet entrance—no ceremony. But his old friend, whom Marshall hadn’t seen since his lieutenant days in the Philippines and who now commanded the post, had other plans. A full military band and Guard of Honor were waiting at the gate, ready to give him a proper welcome.

But the real scene-stealer was Marshall’s Irish setter, Pontiac. The dog had been sent out by train and was waiting at the quarters, held on a leash by an orderly. As soon as he spotted Marshall, Pontiac broke free, launched himself onto his master, and nearly knocked him over. Then he tore through the formation, jumping on soldiers and causing total chaos.

The Colonel in charge was clearly not amused. As Marshall's wife, Katherine Tupper Marshall, later noted in her book Together, “anyone could see he would gladly have thrown ‘Ponty’ into the Columbia River.” But for Marshall, that wild greeting meant far more than any formal ceremony ever could. Pontiac had made the moment personal—and unforgettable.