![]() ![]() According to Wynne, Smoky taught him as much as he taught her, and she developed a repertoire beyond that of any dog of her day. In the down time, Smoky learned numerous tricks, which she performed for the entertainment of troops with Special Services and in hospitals from Australia to Korea. Wynne credited Smoky with saving his life by warning him of incoming shells on an LST (transport ship), calling her an " 'angel' from a foxhole." As the ship deck was booming and vibrating from anti-aircraft gunnery, Smoky guided Wynne to duck the fire that hit eight men standing next to them. Smoky even parachuted from 30 feet (9.1 m) in the air, out of a tree, using a parachute made just for her. She survived 150 air raids on New Guinea and made it through a typhoon at Okinawa. Smoky was credited with twelve combat missions and awarded eight battle stars. Īs described by Wynne, "Smoky Served in the South Pacific with the 5th Air Force, 26th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron and flew 12 air/sea rescue and photo reconnaissance missions." On those flights, Smoky spent long hours dangling in a soldier's pack near machine guns used to ward off enemy fighters. She even ran on coral for four months without developing any of the paw ailments that plagued some war dogs. Unlike the "official" war dogs of World War II, Smoky had access to neither veterinary medicine nor a balanced diet formulated especially for dogs. Throughout her service, Smoky slept in Wynne's tent on a blanket made from a green felt card table cover she shared Wynne's C-rations and an occasional can of Spam. She faced adverse circumstances, living in the New Guinea jungle and Rock Islands, suffering the primitive conditions of tents in equatorial heat and humidity. WWII įor the next two years, Smoky back-packed through the rest of the war and accompanied Wynne on combat flights in the Pacific. Wynne of Cleveland, Ohio, for two Australian pounds (equal to $6.44 at that time)-the price paid to the seller so he could return to his poker game. Another GI then sold Smoky to Corporal William A. The soldiers initially thought the small dog belonged to the Japanese, but after taking her to a nearby prisoner-of-war camp they realized she did not understand commands in Japanese or English. She was already a young adult Yorkie (fully grown). In February 1944, Smoky was found by an American soldier in an abandoned foxhole in the New Guinea jungle. Smoky is credited with beginning a renewal of interest in the once-obscure Yorkshire Terrier breed. She weighed only 4 pounds (1.8 kg) and stood 7 inches (180 mm) tall. 1943 – 21 February 1957), a Yorkshire Terrier, was a famous war dog who served in World War II. Fifth Air Force, 26th Photo Recon Squadron ![]()
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