MADISON, Wis. – Families and their dogs took to downtown Madison Thursday to celebrate the story of a Wisconsin police canine hero from World War II.
“Brownie the War Dog,” a new book from the Wisconsin Historical Society Press, tells the story of Oren Kendley and his dog Brownie. Kendley grew up in King, Wisconsin, and donated Brownie to the Dogs for Defense Program as a young boy in 1943 so he could serve in the military.
Harm Venhuizen
Brownie served in the South Pacific as a guard dog, but was soon wounded in combat and lost an eye. The Army returned Brownie to the Kendley family, where he took on the unofficial role of therapy dog at the Wisconsin Veterans Home in King.
After his death in 1949, Brownie was buried with military honors. According to author Kelly Nelson, Brownie is the only military dog in the country to be buried alongside human veterans.
“I found his story so touching and poignant, the fact that he became friends with all these veterans,” Nelson said.
Nelson first came across Brownie’s story five years ago when she visited the veterans’ home with her father, a Korean War veteran. Her subsequent research led her to the Wisconsin Veterans Museum and to Joan Yohr, Kendley’s niece, who had meticulously documented the family’s history.
“Brownie the War Dog” will be available August 27 from the Wisconsin Historical Society Press.
Harm Venhuizen
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