Vintage Muscle Men

Wednesday, November 11, 2026

Veterans Day, 2026 - The Dogs of War

I'm taking a different approach to Veterans Day this year by honoring man's best friend . . .

and his enemy's worst nightmare. Dogs went to war from the earliest time any records

of such were kept. Their acute senses, intense loyalty, intelligence, and tenacity make

them fine soldiers. And we mustn't overlook the usefulness of their affectionate

friendship in making soldiers' and sailors' lives more tolerable under difficult

circumstances. So today we will look at those heroes, helpers,

and devoted friends, the dogs who went to war.

Spaniel

These World War II African-American troops had a beautiful spaniel as a mascot.

The photo is by David E. Scherman of LIFE.

Gander was a quintessentially Canadian dog, the Newfoundland, who began life as a family pet named Pal. Shortly after Canada entered World War II, Pal accidentally injured a small child. Fearing he would be put down as a result, his family offered him for National Service. He was attached to the Royal Rifle Regiment at Gander, Newfoundland, and he was renamed after the location. We see him above marching (in step) with the regimental band.

The Royal Rifle Regiment was sent to defend Hong Kong in the fall of 1941,

and above we see Gander and some buddies on the ship that took them there.

When the Japanese attacked on December 8, 1941, Gander joined in the defense of Hong Kong Island. On three documented occasions, he helped his human comrades in repelling Japanese attacks. During the first two assaults, he joined in counterattacks and defended groups of wounded soldiers. In the final attack, he sacrificed himself by taking an enemy grenade in his mouth and carrying it away from seven Canadians who would have been killed or badly wounded otherwise. After the battle Japanese interrogators asked prisoners if Canada was training large numbers of dogs like Gander. He was posthumously awarded the canine equivalent of the Victoria Cross, and his medal is in a place of honor at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa. Gander, at the inistence of the battle's survivors, is officially listed among the 1,975 individuals killed there.

The artwork above is by Anne Mainman, and below, I'm posting the Red Ensign,

the flag that Gander and so many other brave Canadians fought and died for.

Sailors' Friends

Dogs have been going to sea as long as there have been ships. In wartime,

they become mascots as well as a comfort to sailors far from home.

The sailor above has made a life jacket for his puppy.

This British sailor has a young Border Collie for a friend.

Being cute is hard work, so puppies need their rest.

Chips, an American Hero

In March, 1942 a call went out for Americans to volunteer their dogs for war service. The Wren Family of Pleasantville, New York answered the call, and their family pet Chips was sent to the U.S. Army. His departure is shown above. After training, Chips was assigned to work with Private John P. Rowell, and he served in North Africa, Italy, France, and Germany. Chips' first brush with fame came when he was guard dog at the Casablanca Conference between Roosevelt and Churchill.

The photo above was taken near an Italian bunker that Chips caused to surrender on July 10, 1943. After machine gunners wounded some soldiers in Chips' group, he broke loose from his handler and jumped through the narrow opening to the bunker. In so doing, he knocked over the machine gun and got hold of a gunner by the neck, causing the entire gun crew to surrender. Later that day, he joined in the capture of an additional ten prisoners.

General Eisenhower himself (at left above) recognized Chips' bravery

and officially made him a Private, First Class.

Good dogs deserve rewards, and Chips didn't just get an occasional doughnut. He was also awarded the Purple Heart, the Silver Star, and the Distinguished Service Cross. It was later decided that dogs could not receive medals, but Chips was allowed to keep his.

At the end of the war, Chips was returned to a joyful Wren Family. Although he isn't in the picture above, it shows the "Return to Civilian Life" retraining program used to make war dogs suitable to be family pets once again. Chips lived out his days in peace with his loving family.

Chips continues to serve his nation by having been the model for the National War Dog Memorial.

Lena Toritch created this beautiful bronze statue of Chips. What a fine boy he was!

More Pals

World War I

World War II fighter pilot and friend.

Scots Guards piper and his assistant.

Unit pets and mascots came in all sizes.

Rip the Rescue Dog

This is Rip the Rescue Dog, a terrier mix found in a dazed state by an air raid warden following one of the first heavy bombings of London in 1940. It was never clear if Rip was a stray or if his family had been killed in the bombing. What quickly became clear, however, was Rip's uncanny ability to find unconscious persons buried under rubble following air raids.

While the scene above was almost certainly staged, Rip is credited

with saving well over 100 victims of the Blitz.

Rip's tombstone pretty much sums up his career. The Dickin Medal was also awarded

to Gander and Chips, the hero dogs mentioned earlier in today's series.

Mercy Dogs

In both world wars, dogs were trained to locate and summon help for wounded soldiers.

They also carried first aid kits and life saving plasma.

Above is Major Richardson, head of training for British mercy dogs with a group of graduates.

It must have been a huge comfort to be recued by this beautiful dog.

Needless to say, many of the canine heroes lost their lives to save others.

The Fallen

This is Caesar, a dog donated to the Marines by a Brooklyn family in 1942. He took three bullets in the Battle of Bougainville, but recovered and went back into action, still carrying one slug too close to his heart to be removed. He was, alas, killed in action on Okinawa in 1945.

Wounded dogs were given full emergency medical treatment. If no veterinarians were available, regular corpmen and field surgeons were used. I don't know if this Doberman wounded on the Orote Peninsula recovered, but no effort was spared to save him.

This is the U.S. Marine Dog Cemetery on Guam.

Still giving after the war

Even after war's end, canines have continued to help soldiers who need it. Sergeant Leonard Foulk was wounded in the Aleutian Islands in 1943 and lost his sight. He was one of the first World War II veterans to have a guide dog placed with him. He is with his beloved Blondie above,

and she provided many years of loyal service after the war ended.