Smokey

The smallest hero, perhaps this is the most famous Yorkshire Terrier, a four pound, seven inch high Yorkie that was found by a soldier abandoned in a jungle foxhole in New Guinea early in 1944, during World War Two.

Corporal William A. Wynne was serving with the 5th Air Force, 26th Photo Recon Squadron as an air photographer. The corporal named the Yorkie, Smokey. For two years Smokey accompanied Corporal Wynne on combat flights in the Pacific, she spent long hours dangling in a soldier's pack near the machine guns used to ward off enemy fighters.

Back on the ground she slept in Wynnes's tent on a blanket made from green felt table covering. She shared Wynne's C-rations with an occasional can of Spam.

In their free time Smoky and Bill learned numerous tricks, which she performed for the amusement of the troops.
Early on one campaign the Signal Corps needed to run a telegraph cable through a 70 foot long pipe that was just eight inches in diameter.

Bill Wynne said, "I tied the wire with a bit of string to Smokey's collar and told her to enter the pipe". Shouting encouragement through the pipe from the other end after Smokey had tentively entered it Bill eventually said Smokey emerged from the pipe with the wire still attached.

Smokey's work of bringing the telegraph cable through the pipe prevented the need to move 40 fighter planes while a construction crew dug up the runway, taking three days to do the job which Smokey did in a few minutes.
Smokey's work as a therapy dog, comforting wounded soldiers continued for 12 years during and after the war ended.