Chips the War Dog
Chips the War Dog was a canine hero who served with the U.S. Army during World War II. Originally a pet of the Edward Wren family, Chips displayed his combat potential through his energetic behavior, leading to his enlistment. He was trained as a sentry dog but became renowned for his ability to flush out enemy troops, participating in key operations across North Africa, Sicily, and Europe as part of the Third Infantry Division under General George S. Patton. Notably, during an engagement in Sicily, Chips charged an enemy bunker, capturing an Italian soldier and prompting the surrender of others. His actions also included alerting his unit to escaping prisoners and serving at the Casablanca Conference.
Chips received several military honors, including the Distinguished Service Cross and the Silver Star, though these were later revoked due to his status as a dog. He returned home in 1945, accompanied by media coverage, and passed away from complications related to his service. His legacy was further immortalized in popular culture with a Disney television film released in the early 1990s. Chips remains an iconic figure representing the contributions of military animals during wartime.
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Subject Terms
Chips the War Dog
Identification Dog that served with American combat troops in Europe during World War II
Born 1940; Pleasantville, New York
Died April 12, 1946; Pleasantville, New York
One of the most decorated dogs in history and the first to be sent overseas in World War II, Chips demonstrated that dogs can offer services crucial to war troops.
Chips was a pet of the Edward Wren family, who volunteered Chips to the U.S. Army after he showed his combat potential by biting at least one garbage collector. Although trained as a sentry dog, Chips excelled at flushing out enemy troops. With the Third Infantry Division under General George S. Patton in 1942, he served in North Africa, Sicily, and Naples-Amo, as well as in the French, Rhineland, and central European theaters. While under fire from machine gunners in Sicily in 1943, Chips charged an enemy bunker and viciously seized an Italian soldier by the throat. Four others who unsuccessfully shot at him then surrendered. Later, Chips alerted his company to ten escaping prisoners. He was also a sentry for the 1943 Casablanca Conference. It is thought that he may have sired nine pups with a female dog named Mena belonging to the canine Women’s Army Corps.
Impact
Chips was the subject of two congressional speeches, and General Dwight D. Eisenhower personally thanked him, though Chips did nip him once. The courageous canine received the Distinguished Service Cross, the Silver Star, and the Purple Heart. Unofficially, he earned a theater ribbon for an assault landing and a battle star (service star).
Chips returned home, accompanied by six photographers and reporters, and was discharged on December 10, 1945. He died later from complications of his combat wounds. Chips’s medals were later revoked because he was a dog. Disney made a television film about him, Chips, the War Dog, that aired in 1990 and was released for sale in 1993.
Bibliography
Derr, Mark. A Dog’s History of America: How Our Best Friend Explored, Conquered, and Settled a Continent. New York: North Point Press, 2004.
Lemish, Michael G. War Dogs: A History of Loyalty and Heroism. Washington, D.C.: Brassey’s, 1999.
West, Nancy. Chips: A Hometown Hero. Thornwood, N.Y.: Off Lead Publications, 2004.