07/30/2026
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The war hero in this story wasn't a sailor. She was a cat.
On the Fourth of July, 1944, a tiny kitten named Pooli was born at the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard, just as World War II raged across the Pacific. Before long, she became the beloved mascot of the attack transport USS Fremont, joining the crew on one of the most dangerous journeys of the war.
Pooli sailed through some of history's fiercest battles, including the Mariana Islands, Palau, the Philippines, and Iwo Jima. While she never carried a weapon, every sailor knew she had a duty of her own.
Whenever the piercing alarm for general quarters echoed through the ship and the crew rushed to their battle stations, Pooli would race just as fast. Her destination was always the ship's mailroom, where she climbed into a sturdy canvas mailbag, curled up tightly, and waited patiently until the explosions and gunfire finally ended.
She survived every battle alongside the men who served aboard the Fremont.
By the end of the war, Pooli had earned four battle stars and three service ribbons—a remarkable honor for a ship's cat who had shared the dangers of combat with her crew.
In 1959, fifteen years after she was born, a photographer visited her home in Los Angeles to capture one unforgettable image. Pooli proudly wore her tiny Navy uniform, still fitting perfectly, with every medal and ribbon she had earned during her extraordinary service.
Her story is a reminder that courage comes in every size, and sometimes history's most unforgettable heroes walk on four paws.
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