Barge Dog: Virginia Coast, 1942! by Susan Anthony-Tolbert

“Barge Dog: Virginia Coast, 1942” is the story of Snowball, the little white, fluffy pup who served on the barge, Ontario, at the beginning of World War II as the Barge Mascot. He was a ‘coastwise barge dog’ meaning that he lived on barges traveling up and down the Atlantic coast of the United States. Barges towed by tugs carried much needed supplies and materials up and down the Atlantic seaboard. Much loved by his human guardian, Orris P. Riggin, Snowball faced danger and adventure in the early days of U.S. entry into World War II. The attack on the tug, Menominee, and her three barges on the night of March 31, 1942 by a German U-boat about nine miles off the coast of Virginia was one of those dangers. This attack resulted in the loss of the lives of sixteen Merchant Mariners. It also showed the courage and devotion of this little white dog. Declassified government records as well as newspaper accounts will show the reader the veracity of this little known piece of maritime American history.