![]() Many of Neptune’s appearances were sponsored by local chapters of the Elks, and the famous pig eventually even became an honorary member of a number of chapters of the fraternal organization.īy the time the war ended, Lingle and King Neptune had raised over $19 million for the Navy, which in today’s dollars would read more like $250 million. Green straight up bought King Neptune for a million dollars. In 1943, then Illinois governor Dwight H. King Neptune began to be known as the “red, white, and blue pig,” for his red and white coloration, and the blue of his eyes (or possibly his blanket). As the pig’s fame grew, larger fundraising auctions across the state began demanding an appearance from the Navy’s increasingly rotund mascot. At each auction, parts of the growing pig would be sold off to the highest bidder, who could have demanded their pound or so of flesh, but no one ever did, and Lingle was able to keep King Neptune each time. Lingle and Sitter began parading him around fundraising events all across southern Illinois. By his third appearance, King Neptune was drawing around $50,000 in bonds. As told in an article in the Southeastern Missourian, people were pledging $100 in war bonds for a leg! $300 for a shoulder! By the end of his first appearance, King Neptune had raised $11,200.Īfter the massive success of his first appearance, by his next, he was given a little crown that was strapped on top of the blanket with an elastic band, and he was adorned with silver earrings and painted hooves. Maybe it was the blanket, or maybe it was the look in his eyes, but bits of Neptune began flying off the stage. On a whim, he draped the pig with a Navy Blue blanket. According to a piece provided by Stu Fliege, Vice-President of the Illinois Historical Society, the war bonds were to help pay for the floundering USS Illinois battleship. Oard Sitter, and took his porky new Navy mascot to a Marion fundraising auction. ![]() Lingle joined up with local auctioneer, L. Thus, the runty little piglet once known as Parker Neptune, was rechristened King Neptune. If those adorable little piggy eyes could keep this animal from the dinner table, maybe they could open a few charitable wallets as well. Yet where Lingle saw doe-eyed innocence, he also saw opportunity. Lingle had intended to use the piglet for a Navy fundraising dinner, upon being presented with the young Neptune, he found that he couldn’t slaughter him, describing the pig in a later interview as “an innocent-looking thing.” Like so many things during World War II, pork was a rationed commodity, but Sherman Boner told Lingle that he could provide him with some pig meat. Lingle (originally from Anna, Illinois) about pork. Later that year, her father Sherman, began talking to Marion, Illinois Navy recruiter Don C. ![]() The runt of 12 piglets born in his litter, Neptune got singled out early when young Patty Boner took a shine to the animal and began to raise him as a project for her local 4-H club. Navy by selflessly auctioning off every part of his porcine being for a battleship that never got made.īorn in 1942 on the Boner family farm in West Frankfort, Illinois, the pig who would be king was originally named Parker Neptune, taking the name of his father, Parker Sensation. King Neptune was actually a fat Hereford swine who managed to raise over $250 million dollars (in modern dollars) for the U.S. One of Illinois’ proudest homefront warriors was just such a royal figure, and he wasn’t even human. Įvery war has its heroes, but some go more unsung than others. This story was sponsored by the fine folks of Enjoy Illinois. (Photo: Union County Historical Museum/Used with Permission)
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