In the 1940s, Smoky was a tiny Yorkshire Terrier who became one of the most famous war dogs of World War II after American soldiers found her abandoned in a foxhole in New Guinea in February 1944. She was sold to Corporal William A. Wynne of Cleveland, Ohio, for 2 Australian pounds (about $6). Wynne adopted her, and Smoky quickly became a beloved mascot for his unit in the Pacific Theater.
Though not an official military K-9 (meaning no rations or vet care), Smokey lived like a soldier: sharing Wynne’s C-rations, sleeping in his tent, and backpacking through 12 combat missions, 150+ air raids, and even a typhoon off Okinawa. She earned 8 battle stars for her service and reportedly saved Wynne’s life multiple times by barking warnings of incoming artillery.
Her most legendary feat took place at Lingayen Gulf, Luzon (Philippines) in 1945: Engineers needed to run telegraph wires through a 70-foot-long, 8-inch-diameter culvert under an airfield to keep communication lines open, but digging would put workers at risk of enemy fire. Smoky, with a string tied to her collar, crawled through the pipe, pulling the wires behind her and finishing the job in minutes—saving an estimated 250 men from danger.
Post-War Fame
Post-war (late 1940s-1950s), Wynne smuggled her home in an oxygen mask case, and she became a national celebrity. She pioneered therapy work by visiting veterans’ hospitals across the U.S., where her presence lifted spirits—earning her credit as the world’s first documented therapy dog.
Back in Cleveland, Ohio (Wynne’s hometown), she starred in early TV shows like “Castles in the Sky” on WKYC, performed 42 live broadcasts without repeating a trick, and increased the popularity of the Yorkshire Terrier breed from obscurity.
Legacy
Smoky lived until February 21, 1957, around the age of 14, and Wynne buried her in a WWII ammo box beneath a tree in Cleveland Metroparks’ Rocky River Reservation, where he and his fiancée had engraved their initials before the war.
A life-size bronze statue of Smokey in a GI helmet was unveiled there on Veterans Day 2005, dedicated to “Smoky, the Yorkie Doodle Dandy, and the Dogs of All Wars.” In 2022, she received the Animals in War & Peace Distinguished Service Medal—the first for a war dog. Wynne’s memoir, “Yorkie Doodle Dandy” (1996), and books like “Smoky the Brave” by Damien Lewis detail her story. She’s honored in museums and inspires Yorkie rescues (e.g., the “Smoky Award”).
Her story demonstrates how even the smallest dog can have a profound impact during wartime.
Information pulled from the following websites:
