Dog Names Meaning Little One

In 1944 in New Guinea a tiny, scruffy female Yorkshire Terrier was found near a foxhole in the jungle. Her rescuer was an American soldier. At first, they thought she was owned by the Japanese but didn’t appear to understand commands in any language. Her rescuer later sold the small dog to a soldier by the name of William A. Wynne who was from Cleveland, Ohio. He paid approximately two Australian pounds for the canine which was about $6.50 in U.S. dollars.

The little dog was called Smoky. She would ride in her owner’s backpack on many adventures around the world. Smoky flew in 12 air and sea rescue and photo reconnaissance missions. She was also involved in 12 combat missions for which she would be awarded eight battle stars. The scrappy pooch survived 150 air raids in New Guinea. She even lived through a huge typhoon on Okinawa.

Smoky was invaluable to her owner because she would warn him of incoming artillery shells. She also led her owner to safety through open fire on board a battleship. The dog’s small size enabled her to carry a crucial telegraph wire through a 70-foot-long pipe that was 8 inches in diameter. Smokey had only four inches of headway as she navigated through the dark pipe but she kept trudging bravely ahead.

The petite dog was highly intelligent and learned innumerable tricks that she performed to entertain the troops and lift morale. After she and her owner returned to the states at the War’s end they went to Hollywood where she was on many television specials and would regularly show off all the skills that she had learned. They would also regularly visit veterans’ hospitals to see the troops and make them smile.

On February 21, 1957, Smoky died at the age of 14. Her small body was placed in an ammo box and buried in Cleveland Metroparks, Rocky River Reservation in Lakewood, Ohio. In 2005, a bronze statue was erected at the site in her honor. The monument is a rendering of Smoky sitting in GI helmet. On the statue’s granite base is engraved,  “Smoky, the Yorkie Doodle Dandy, and the Dogs of All Wars".

Because of Smoky's innumerable visits to veteran hospitals, she has the distinction of being considered the first therapy dog in the United States. She would work as a therapy dog for 13 years. She was even allowed to go on rounds with Mayo Clinic's Dr. Charles Mayo.