⚠️ Not Safe for Work / Adult Content Warning ⚠️

Sometimes history refuses to stay in the past. And sometimes… it shows up in an emergency room.

This Five Minute Friday dives into a truly unbelievable modern news story involving a World War I artillery shell, one very bad decision, and a French hospital that suddenly had to take explosive history very seriously. It’s a reminder that just because something is old doesn’t mean it’s safe—and that curiosity without common sense is how you end up evacuating a building.

We ask the important questions:

• How does something like this even happen?
• Why are WWI explosives still turning up?
• And what life choices lead to this particular outcome?

Spoiler: History is wild, humans are weirder, and museums exist for a reason.

• A real Vice news story involving a live WWI artillery shell and a hospital evacuation
• Why unexploded ordnance from World War I is still being discovered today
• The difference between “historical artifact” and “active explosive”
• How history occasionally re-enters the present in the most unhinged way possible

• Vice: A Man Turned Up at Hospital With a Live WWI Artillery Shell in His Butt
• https://www.vice.com/en/article/a-man-turned-up-at-hospital-with-a-live-wwi-artillery-shell-in-his-butt/ [vice.com]

Rainy Day Rabbit Holes explores strange history, baffling decisions, forgotten stories, and the moments when the past collides violently—or hilariously—with the present.

New episodes and show info at:

👉www.rainydayrabbitholes.com

⚠️ Not Safe for Work / Adult Content Warning ⚠️

This episode discusses an explicit real‑world news story involving adult bodily injury, medical emergency, and crude subject matter. Listener discretion is strongly advised. Do not listen at work, around children, or polite society.

In the chaos of World War I, one unlikely soldier refused to stay behind. He didn’t carry a rifle, didn’t understand borders or politics, and technically wasn’t allowed to enlist—but he charged into danger anyway.

In this episode, we tell the true story of Sergeant Stubby, a Boston Terrier mix who became one of the most decorated heroes of World War I. From smuggling himself onto a troop ship, to warning soldiers of mustard gas attacks, locating wounded men in no man’s land, and even capturing an enemy spy, Stubby proved that bravery doesn’t require rank—or even thumbs.

Joining us for this emotional (and occasionally unhinged) journey is special guest Erin, Shea’s longtime friend and fellow history nerd, who helps us explore why Stubby’s story still resonates more than a century later.

Fair warning: this is a dog story, which means Shea cries. More than once. We apologize in advance—and also refuse to apologize at all.

• How a stray dog became the unofficial mascot of the 102nd Infantry Regiment
• Sergeant Stubby’s role in 17 battles on the Western Front
• Mustard gas detection, artillery warnings, and battlefield rescues
• The night Stubby captured a German spy—and earned a promotion
• Stubby’s postwar celebrity life, medals, and legacy
• Why this small dog’s story still hits so hard today

• Sergeant Stubby – World War I war dog and certified good boy
• Corporal James Robert Conroy – Stubby’s human best friend and handler
• Erin – Special guest, history nerd, and longtime friend of Shea

You can find photos, sources, and more stories like this at

👉 https://rainydayrabbitholes.com

Before we get into today’s rabbit hole, we wanted to share an exciting update — and a little behind‑the‑scenes honesty.

On June 3rd, 2026, Jody and Shea will be part of a McMenamins History Pub event in Tacoma, Washington, held at McMenamins Elks Temple in the historic Spanish Ballroom.

The program, Before Roswell: Tacoma’s Maury Island Incident, explores the strange, complicated, and often‑overlooked UFO case that put Tacoma at the center of flying saucers, mysterious men in black, and a federal investigation — weeks before Roswell captured the world’s attention.

This is a collaborative presentation featuring:

• Rainy Day Rabbit Holes Podcast — storytelling and narrative context
• Chris Staudinger of Pretty Gritty Tours — historical and cultural context rooted in Tacoma’s gritty reality
• Steve Edmiston, filmmaker and founder of the Men In Black Birthday Bash — an in‑depth examination of the case and its lasting legacy

📍 Where: McMenamins Elks Temple, Spanish Ballroom (Tacoma, WA)

📅 When: June 3rd, 2026

🔗 Event details & tickets:

https://www.mcmenamins.com/events/274794-history-pub

If you want to brush up beforehand, we’ve covered the Maury Island Incident extensively on the podcast. Head to:

👉 https://rainydayrabbitholes.com/podcast

Then type “maury” into the search bar to find our four episodes diving deep into the case.

We also wanted to share a little honesty about the show.

Each episode of Rainy Day Rabbit Holes involves researching, reading, outlining, writing, recording, editing, releasing, maintaining the website, and keeping up with social media. It’s a labor of love — but it can also be a lot.

Jody and Shea are both feeling a bit stretched thin right now. We love this podcast deeply and can’t imagine it not being part of our lives, but we never want it to become something we resent or phone in. Keeping the joy alive matters to us.

So, going forward:

• Full‑length episodes will be released every other week
• On the off weeks, we’ll still bring you 5 Minute Fridays, because those are fun and low‑lift
• We may also take a short summer break (a month or two) to fully recharge and come back refreshed

You may also hear some guest hosts from our Umbrella Podcast Collective, including:

• Laura & Stephen from Midday Movies
• Kevin from Tyrant in Training
• And Shea’s big brother, Jason

We’d love to involve the community even more.

If you’re creative and interested in submitting a story, outline, or even a listener‑written episode that could be featured on the show, please reach out.

📧 Email: shea@rainydayrabbitholes.com

Thank you, truly, for your support, your love, and your patience. We’re so grateful for this community — and we’re excited about what’s ahead, at a pace that keeps Rainy Day Rabbit Holes joyful for everyone involved.

❤️

Jody & Shea