Bulldog

Growing up in Amarillo, Texas, Larry's family always had bulldogs. I think their favorite was Fifi, the only one they ever bred. She had a pup that Larry's brother Eddie Lee named "Marine", because both he and Larry enlisted in the Marines in 1966, the year Marine was born. When they were in bootcamp, Sgt. Jiggs, the Marine Corps mascot, reminded them of home, of Fifi and her pup.

The bulldog as a symbol of the Marines is perfect - a bulldog is faithful, tenacious and unafraid. And the bulldog is a perfect mascot for Larry Stallings in the same way. He will not let go of a problem until it is fixed. I should know, I'm the one who always is waiting for him to come home for dinner while he stays at work grappling with a problem that most folks would gladly leave until the next workday. As an Army officer, he was faithful to his soldiers, always putting their safety, comfort, and dignity before his own. And he has never backed away from a fight, ever. One of his nicknames is "Little Larry", because everywhere he goes there are always at least two Larrys, and he is always the shoter one. But he never loses a fight because, as he says, "It's not the size of the dog in a fight that matters, it's the size of the fight in a dog that matters."

Now go look at this picture. If that ain't a bulldog, I don't know what is.