29. An Enlisted Bear
Wikimedia Commons
The Polish army did in fact have a bear on their roster. This unbelievable photo from history shows the bear, Wojtek, and a Polish soldier together in 1942. He served with the 22nd Artillery Supply Company during WWII and was eventually promoted to Corporal. The story behind how Wojtek joined the ranks is simple. Some Polish soldiers that had been evacuated from the Soviet Union bought a bear cub at a train station in Iran. It became costly to transport and feed the bear, so they enlisted him to cover the costs. After the war, he retired to the Edinburgh Zoo.
