Patton named him Willie after a boy that he met during the Great Depression and not because of William the Conqueror as it is commonly believed.

[4][5][better source needed] During the Second World War, Patton was always accompanied by his loyal dog during his campaigns in Luxembourg, France and Belgium.

[6][7] On December 9, 1945, a limousine transporting Patton and his former chief of staff Hobart Gay to a hunting trip crashed into an American army truck near Speyer.

[9][10][11] Patton died on December 21 of injuries he sustained, leaving Willie's future uncertain.

[5][12][13] Willie was sent to live with Patton's family as the beloved dog of a fallen warrior.