KING (WLUK) — It's been eight decades since World War II ended, but a Fox Valley children's book author is making sure the legacy of a local canine hero is never forgotten.
On Friday, a life-sized bronze dog statue on the Wisconsin Veterans Home at King campus was dedicated to Brownie, a German Shepherd mix from King who served in the Army during the Second World War.
Kelly Nelson penned a children's picture book published last summer called “Brownie the War Dog: Veterans' Best Friend” which tells the brave pooch's true story. She's the one who led the fundraising effort to have a memorial created in Brownie's honor, soliciting donations from local businesses and community members.
“2024 marked the 75th anniversary of his passing, so I had made every effort to have this [sculpture dedication] take place in 2024, but it just didn't pan out that way, but that's okay. Every dog has its day, and I'm hoping today is Brownie's,” said Nelson.
According to Nelson, there was no such thing as military dogs prior to World War II, so a civilian group of dog enthusiasts formed the Dogs for Defense.
Regional recruiters were put in place and families were asked to donate their family pet for war service.
Brownie's young owner, 11-year-old Oren Kendley, selflessly donated Brownie to the war effort, and he was shipped out to the Pacific Theatre as a Sentry Dog.
“It was terrible conditions. He was a Sentry, and so he kept his handler and his troops safe. They sniffed out the enemy, they guarded all of the ammunitions, a variety of tasks,” Nelson said.
Brownie served for a year and a half, from May 1943 to October 1944, until a bullet wound to the eye cost him half his vision. The Army replaced Brownie's eye with a glass eye and honorably discharged him.
“Families were given the option to either accept the animal back or to not, and the Kendley family decided to, no matter what, and so he came back here,” said Nelson.
But after Brownie returned to King, he wasn't content with his civilian life. Instead of staying home each day, Brownie began escorting Oren's mother, Freda, to the Wisconsin Veterans Home at King, where she worked as a cook. It was there he found his purpose again.
While Freda worked, Brownie visited the veterans and their spouses, as the Wisconsin Veterans Home at King used to have rows of cottages where veterans lived. Brownie was beloved by the residents and he became an unofficial mascot, serving as a precursor to what would today be considered a certified therapy dog.
In 1949, when he was eight years old, Brownie was struck and killed. Because he was so well loved by the Veterans Home, the Commandant asked Brownie's family if he could be buried with his fellow human veterans. Nelson says to her knowledge, Brownie is the only non-human veteran in the world to be buried with human veterans in a veterans memorial cemetery.
“We're just celebrating his lifetime of service to his fellow soldiers, to mankind, to the residents at the home. He just was an extraordinary animal and I felt that I wanted to be the voice for him and to celebrate all that he did,” said Nelson.
He served his entire life, and when I learned about his story in 2019, I just felt that it was just such a beautiful story, and as an animal lover, I felt that he deserved this honor. The book and the statue have all been in an effort to honor his remarkable life.
In addition to Friday's statue dedication, there was also a full military service held at the Wisconsin Veterans Home at King, organized by the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs.
Guests were encouraged to bring their own dogs to the ceremony for a puppy parade and costume contest in Brownie's memory.
