Dog Names Meaning Victory

Victory itself has sometimes been employed as a name for our four-legged companions. When Ronald Reagan was given a five-week-old Golden Retriever puppy while on the campaign trail, he named the puppy Victory. Instead of living at the White House with the Reagans, Victory lived at the ranch that the Reagans owned in California, the Rancho del Cielo, where he had plenty of room to roam and run. Victory was also the name of a mutt that became Mascot First Class to the Battleship USS Iowa during World War II. Victory was first brought aboard the battleship by Captain John L McCrea when he took command and the canine was quickly declared an apprentice mascot. When the USS Iowa transported President Roosevelt to the Tehran Conference, the small dog slept at the foot of his bed each night for the length of the trip. He was on board during many successful battles against Japanese forces of the time and he received a commendation as a member of Task Force 31 and a promotion to Mascot First Class, although he was later demoted to Mascot Third Class when he went AWOL on shore for two hours and caused a disturbance by fighting. Victory transferred to the USS Rupertus with now Vice-Admiral McCrea, later retiring to the home of a former USS Iowa shipmate.

Cairo is another dog with a name that means victory that is associated with the United States Navy, although Cairo, a Belgian Malinois, is far more than a mascot. Cairo is a highly trained working dog and an elite warrior. Dogs like Cairo are often removed from their mother’s care and hand-raised, beginning their training at just three days old. During their early development, they are subjected to many sights, sounds, and unusual situations, like being dangled out of a helicopter, in order to prepare them to be steadfast and unflappable in multiple situations. Cairo was trained not only to protect his team-members using force if needed, he is able to check for bombs, booby traps, false walls, and hidden doors that might otherwise go unnoticed by human senses, and has taken part in many missions. The most well-known mission that Cairo took part in was the killing of the leader of the militant Islamic group Al-Qaeda, where he was able to help turn neighboring civilians away and keep them safe from harm. During the private ceremony that celebrated the actions of Seal Team Six, President Obama specifically requested to meet him before presenting the team with a Presidential Unit Citation.