November 1, 2026

Smoky, the Little War Dog

A four-pound Yorkshire Terrier found in a foxhole became a companion to American airmen in the Pacific, helped set up a communications line, and spent years entertaining wounded soldiers.

In February 1944, an American soldier found a tiny Yorkshire Terrier in an abandoned foxhole in New Guinea. Nobody knew where she had come from. She was super small, weighing only four pounds, and another soldier was ready to sell her for two Australian pounds just to get back to his poker game. Corporal William Wynne, an aerial photographer serving with the US Army Air Forces, bought the little dog and named her Smoky. From then on, she went almost everywhere with him for the rest of the war.

A little dog in the Pacific

Smoky wasn't an official military working dog. She didn't have any official duties, special food, or veterinary support from the Army. Instead, she shared Wynne's meals, which included C-rations and sometimes a bit of Spam, and slept in his tent on a blanket made from an old green felt card-table cover.

She accompanied him on flights, traveling in a soldier's pack, and lived alongside the airmen through air raids, tropical storms, and long stretches in the New Guinea jungle.

When things were a bit quieter, Wynne took the time to teach her some cool tricks. Smoky learned to play dead, walk a tightrope, and even ride a little scooter. Her performances became a welcome distraction for men living far from home in tough conditions. But then, when they got to the Philippines, she had a totally different job to do.

The dog who ran the wire

In January 1945, American troops were trying to set up communications at an airfield on Luzon, in the Philippines. They needed to get a wire under a runway, which meant running it through a drainage pipe that was about 70 feet long and only eight inches wide. The alternative was to dig up the ground, a job that would take days and expose the men to danger.

Smoky was small enough to fit inside the pipe. With a piece of string attached to her collar, she went in one end while Wynne waited at the other, calling her name. She made her way through the dark, narrow passage until she reached Wynne. They then used the string to pull the communications wire through. What could have taken days took just minutes, all without tearing up the runway.

A welcome visitor in the hospital

Smoky's presence turned out to be a huge boost beyond just the airfield. When Wynne got sick with dengue fever and ended up in a military hospital in New Guinea, his friends brought Smoky to visit him. The nurses quickly noticed how much joy the little dog brought to the patients and started taking her around to cheer up injured servicemen. At night, Smoky curled up next to Wynne, and during the day, she went on rounds with the nurses.

For men recovering from serious injuries, watching a four-pound dog walk a tightrope was a fun break from the usual hospital routine. These days, Smoky is remembered as one of the first therapy dogs.

Home with Wynne

When the war ended, Wynne brought Smoky back home to Ohio. They kept performing, this time on TV, at public events, and even in hospitals all over the U.S. Smoky even had her own TV show with Wynne, showing off all the cool tricks she learned during the war.

She retired from performing in 1955 and passed away on February 21, 1957, at about 14 years old. Even years later, Wynne kept sharing their story and made sure to keep the memory of their time together alive.

” After two years of endless journey, from Australia to Korea and many hostile places in between, when the war ended, we came home to share a growing family, Hollywood, the stage and live television for another ten years... For my buddy Smoky, one thing is certain: The four pound, seven inches tall Yorkie who did everything in both war and peace, is now part of history. I am so proud! But OH how I miss you old girl... Bill Wynne

Smoky had spent the war sharing Wynne's tent, traveling in his pack and entertaining the men around him. She also crawled through a pipe to help finish a job that nobody else could do. Wherever Wynne went, a little dog always kept him company.

Cpl. Smoky's Story featuring Cpl. Bill Wynne · Aaron Killian

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