A prime example of her heroism was an incident in which American commanders needed telephone lines to be run through a pipe that stretched around 70 feet underground, connecting the base to three separate squadrons. The pipe was only eight inches in diameter and the wire could only be put in place by hand, meaning dozens of men would have to dig a trench to get the wires underground. This would be a lengthy and dangerous process. Instead, they sent Smoky through the pipe with a kite string tied to her collar which could then be used to thread the wires through the pipe. Wynne called to her from the other side. She reached the other side, successfully establishing the communication network, and has even been credited with saving the lives of around 250 men and 40 planes that day.
In addition, Smoky was the first therapy dog on record. During the war, Wynne caught dengue fever and was subsequently sent to 233rd Station Hospital. There, she would accompany nurses on their rounds and comfort wounded soldiers. She would also perform tricks Wynne taught her.
When he returned home, Smoky became famous for doing tricks on TV shows. She could walk on a drum and tightrope, ride a scooter, and even "spell" her own name by picking up large cutout letters as Wynne called them out to her.
She died in 1957 at the age of 14. She has memorials in four cities across the US and one in Australia. In addition, she's credited with the rise in popularity of adopting Yorkies as pets. To Bill, "She was just an instrument of love."
Sources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Om4hxolzkdk
https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/05/140520-dogs-war-canines-soldiers-military-healing-yorkshire-terrier-smoky/
This is a very cute post! I thought it was really interesting that in addition to being a hero, she was also the first therapy dog on record. One question I had was how did they train Smoky to react to certain situations in this environment? Was there training or was she just a companion to Wynne and adapted?
ReplyDeleteAnd people say they like cats more.
ReplyDeleteI am blessed by this post. I love the doggo. It's amazing how much dogs can do during wars to help the soldiers! I wrote about a dog who could hear air raids 15 minutes before any human would notice them, and this dog is in that class of helpful dog! I love Smoky very much.
ReplyDeleteThis post is cute. I love how dogs can play such big roles in people's lives and history.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you wrote this post. Although Smoky played a very small role in WWII, she was able to make such a difference in the lives of those 250 men. I find it incredible how people and animals can form bonds strong enough to last through times like that, and how those bonds can even end up saving their lives in the end.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a cute post I'm so glad you wrote it. I love reading about the cute bonds formed between animals and humans in such a difficult time. The dog ended up saving their lives and it just shows how much happiness can be brought from something or someone so simple.
ReplyDelete