War Dog That Served in the Pacific Theater Awarded Distinguished Service Medal

Photo Credit: 1. Aphillcsa / Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0 2. Petty Officer 3rd Class Kimberly Reaves / U.S. Coast Guard District 5 / DVIDS / Public Domain
Photo Credit: 1. Aphillcsa / Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0 2. Petty Officer 3rd Class Kimberly Reaves / U.S. Coast Guard District 5 / DVIDS / Public Domain

Dogs are a semi-common sight on the battlefield, but one you wouldn’t expect to see is a Yorkshire Terrier. Despite the breed’s small size, one served in the Pacific Theater during World War II, and was recently awarded the Animals in War & Peace Distinguished Service Medal.

Named Smoky, the four-pound, seven-inch-tall Yorkshire Terrier was posthumously awarded the medal on March 9, 2022. At the ceremony, she was recognized for her “exceptionally meritorious service to our nation in a duty of great responsibility.” It was attended by the granddaughter of Smoky’s owner. William “Bill” Wynne passed away in April 2021.

The Animals in War & Peace Distinguished Service Medal is the highest honor animals can receive. It recognizes “the roles and contributions of United States service animals and their valiant human handlers for bravery and acknowledging their valor and meritorious achievements.”

Animals in War & Peace Distinguished Service Medals displayed on a table
2022 Animals in War & Peace Distinguished Service Medals displayed on a table in the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, D.C., March 9, 2022. The Animals in War & Peace Distinguished Service Medal is presented to animals who distinguish themselves by extraordinary heroism. (Photo Credit: Petty Officer 3rd Class Kimberly Reaves / U.S. Coast Guard District 5 / DVIDS / Public Domain)

Smoky served with Bill Wynne in 5th Air Force, 26th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron in the Pacific Theater. An American soldier found her in a foxhole in New Guinea, and while initially believed to belong to the Japanese was later determined to not have an owner. She was sold to Wynne for $6.00.

While in the South Pacific, Smoky survived 150 air raids in New Guinea and a typhoon on Okinawa. She also participated in 12 air-sea rescue and reconnaissance missions, and even once parachuted from 30 feet, using a parachute specifically made for her. During her service, she is credited with not just saving Wynne’s life, but the lives of other soldiers, by warning them of incoming enemy fire.

Smoky gained her hero status while helping Signal Corps engineers build an airbase at Lingayen Gulf, Luzon. They needed to run communications wires through a 70-foot-long pipe that only had an 8-inch diameter. As soil had made its way inside, Smoky was only provided around 4 inches of headway while traveling through the pipe.

It’s estimated her work in Luzon saved the ground crewmen from moving 40 fighter jets and reconnaissance planes and the construction detail from having to dig up the taxiway. If this had been done, the 250 crewmen would have been in danger of being bombed by enemy aircraft.

Along with her service in the air, Smoky is also credited as being the first recorded therapy dog. During their downtime, Wynne taught the Yorkshire Terrier hundreds of tricks, which they used to entertain the other soldiers in their unit. The pair would also visit the wounded in hospital.

According to Wynne, they encountered one soldier who was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and, as such, would not speak or react with others. When a nurse placed Smoky on his lap, he immediately smiled and began communicating with medical staff.

Monument dedicated to Smoky and "Dogs of All Wars"
Monunment in Lakewood, Ohio, dedicated to Smoky and “Dogs of All Wars.” (Photo Credit: Aphillcsa / Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0)

Wynne had to smuggle Smoky aboard a ship to bring her back to Cleveland. Back in the US, he found work as a photojournalist and a research photographer for NASA. Smoky died in 1957 and was buried in a World War II-era ammo box, beneath a tree in the Rocky River Reservation. It was the same tree Wynne and his wife, Margie, had carved their initials and a heart when they became engaged prior to the war.

In 2005, Smoky’s remains were transferred to the base of a monument for her and “Dogs of All Wars” in Lakewood, Ohio.

Clare Fitzgerald

Clare Fitzgerald is a Writer and Editor with eight years of experience in the online content sphere. Graduating with a Bachelor of Arts from King’s University College at Western University, her portfolio includes coverage of digital media, current affairs, history and true crime.

Among her accomplishments are being the Founder of the true crime blog, Stories of the Unsolved, which garners between 400,000 and 500,000 views annually, and a contributor for John Lordan’s Seriously Mysterious podcast. Prior to its hiatus, she also served as the Head of Content for UK YouTube publication, TenEighty Magazine.

In her spare time, Clare likes to play Pokemon GO and re-watch Heartland over and over (and over) again. She’ll also rave about her three Maltese dogs whenever she gets the chance.

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