Chips: the true story of World War II's most decorated war dog

Part 1

Who was Chips and how did he enlist

Before you picture Chips in combat, picture him at home. He was born in 1940 and belonged to Edward J. Wren and his family in Pleasantville, New York. After the United States entered the war, the Dogs for Defense program asked families to donate their dogs, and in 1942 the Wrens gave up Chips. Of the roughly 40,000 dogs donated to the program, only about 10,000 made it through training.

Chips was sent to the War Dog Training Center in Front Royal, Virginia, where he trained as a sentry dog. He was then assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division in October 1942 and paired with his handler, Pvt. John R. Rowell. Over the next three years he served through the Algerian-Moroccan, Tunisian, Sicilian, Rhineland and Central Europe campaigns.

Part 2

What Chips did during the war

You might expect a sentry dog to stay out of direct combat, but Chips did not. On July 10, 1943, during the invasion of Sicily known as Operation Husky, Chips and Rowell were pinned down on the beach by an Italian machine-gun team hidden in a hut. Chips broke away from Rowell and charged into the position despite the gunfire. Rowell later said there was a lot of noise, then the firing stopped, and one soldier came out with Chips at his throat before Rowell called him off. Three more enemy soldiers came out with their hands up, and Chips sustained a scalp wound and powder burns in the fight. Later that same day he helped alert his unit to roughly ten more Italian soldiers trying to approach the camp, and all of them were captured.

Earlier in the war, in January 1943, Chips had already met world leaders. He served as a sentry at the Casablanca Conference, where President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill met to plan Allied strategy, and Chips met both men while on protection duty. During his service he also met General Dwight D. Eisenhower, and it is rumored Chips tried to bite his hand.

Part 3

The medals controversy

You would think a dog who did this much would simply get to keep his medals, but the story is more complicated. On November 19, 1943, Chips was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, and he also received the Silver Star and the Purple Heart. Major General Lucian K. Truscott Jr., commander of the 3rd Division, waived War Department rules against decorating animals to allow the Silver Star. The medals were later revoked after complaints that such awards were not meant for animals, under Army policy that barred official commendations for animals. Following protests, the Army's adjutant general ruled that Chips could keep the medals he already had, but that no more medals would go to dogs. His unit still unofficially gave him a Theater Ribbon with an Arrowhead for an assault landing, plus battle stars for each of his campaigns.

Part 4

Chips's life after the war

After everything Chips went through, you might wonder what kind of homecoming he had. He was honorably discharged in December 1945 and returned to New York to live with the Wren family again. He died about a year after coming home, in 1946. John Wren, who was a young boy when Chips returned, later said Chips was something of a celebrity but that the family was simply glad to have their dog back.

Part 5

Chips's legacy today

You can still see how Chips's story echoes in how dogs are honored now. In January 2018, more than seventy years after the war, Chips was posthumously awarded the PDSA Dickin Medal, a British award for animal gallantry in military conflict. The medal was presented at the Churchill War Rooms in London on the 75th anniversary of the Casablanca Conference, and Lt. Col. Alan Throop accepted it on Chips's behalf while John Wren traveled from New York to attend. Lt. Col. Alan Throop and a working dog named Ayron also took part in the ceremony. In 2019, Chips was also posthumously awarded the Animals in War and Peace Medal of Bravery. His medal was later housed at the National World War II Museum before moving to the 3rd Infantry Division Museum at Fort Stewart, Georgia, where it remains part of the permanent collection.