Chips

The most decorated war dog from World War II, serving with the American Army, was a German Shepherd/Collie/Husky mixed breed call Chips.

Owned by Edward J. Wren of Pleasantville, New York, he gave Chips to the American Army during World War II. Chips was taken to the War Dog Training Centre in Virginia in 1942 for training as a sentry dog.

After training Chips was assigned to the 3rd Military Police Platoon and served with the 3rd Infantry Division in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, France and Germany.

Chips’ real claim to fame came when he waded ashore with General George Patton’s army in Sicily. The soldiers established a beach-head and eventually began moving inland. A hidden enemy machine-gun nest suddenly opened up on the soldiers, who took cover rapidly, however, Chips unmindful of his safety lunged at the enemy position, even though he had already been hit. The machine gun soon stopped firing and when the soldiers had advanced to where Chips had gone, the dog had one Italian soldier by the throat, the rest were standing up terrified with their hands in the air!

The lieutenant in charge of the platoon recommended Chips for a Silver Star and a Purple Heart decoration, citing “...his courageous action in single-handedly eliminating a dangerous machine gun-nest and causing the surrender of its crew and that the action had prevented injury and death to his own men.”

Chips’ glory continued when he served in seven more bitter battles. In one skirmish with the Germans near Licata, Sicily, Chips attacked a concealed German pillbox that housed a machine-gun. Once again he managed to capture four Germans, saving his handler and other American soldiers from injury or possible death.

Chips had sustained minor injuries including a scalp wound and powder burns from close shots. Afterward the soldiers said “...a vicious fight had taken place in the pill box with Chips, and that the Germans had attempted to shoot Chips with an automatic handgun, but Chips won the fight!”
The same day Chips helped capture ten enemy soldiers and was credited for alerting his handler to many enemy presence on other occasions.

After the action, Major General Lucian Truscott, then commander of the American 3rd division, awarded Chips the Silver Star for bravery and the Purple Heart for wounds received in the many actions he had been in. Chips was given his medals in a church yard in the town of Pientravairano, Italy. However, Chips did not get to keep his medals due to some public protest, higher authorities overruled the awards, on the basis that it was inappropriate to award the decorations to an animal, there by possibly demeaning soldiers who received the same medals.

Chips also served away from the battlefields. He added to his legend when he acted as sentry for President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill at their historic conference in Casablanca in 1943.

After the war Chips was escorted across the Atlantic and then to Virginia where the army had a red carpet welcome for the dog hero. After his discharge from the army Chips was returned to his original owner Edward J. Wren. He died seven months after coming home from complications of his war injuries at the age of 6