Smoky

As a memorial day tribute, I wanted to do a layout about the brave war dogs who have also contributed so much to the preservation of our liberty. I came across a story of a 4# Yorkshire Terrier who was a hero of WWII and lived in my home state of Ohio. Since I have been lucky to have had a Yorkie in my life many years ago and currently share my home with the smartest dog I've ever known, a rescue Yorkie mix, I knew I HAD to do my layout on Smoky. JOURNALING: Smoky Hero dog of WWII "Smoky" was a Yorkshire Terrier incongruously found abandoned in a foxhole during the WWII campaign in the jungles of New Guinea. Corporal William Wynne of Cleveland OH adopted her and she became his companion for the next two years of the war. She reportedly flew on 12 air/sea rescue and photo reconnaissance missions and was awarded 8 battle stars. She survived air raids and a typhoon and even parachuted out of a tree. She saved Wynne's life by warning him of incoming fire on a transport ship. She entertained troops and hospitalized soldiers, and has been described as the first therapy dog. During the Luzon campaign, she dragged a communications cable through a narrow 70' long culvert, saving soldiers from having to drag it above ground. She lived with Wynn in Cleveland after the war and died there in 1957 at the age of 14. She was buried in a WWII ammo box in the Rocky River reservation where, on 11/11/2005 a life-size bronze sculpture of Smoky sitting in a GI helmet was erected above her grave site. It is dedicated to “Smoky, Yorkie Doodle Dandy and Dogs of all wars.”
CREDITS: SCRAPLIFT OF: "Reverie" by Sucali and "Go See Do" by IntenseMagic; IMAGE: by Rave69 at Flickr; KITS: "Sunshine and Daffodils" and "Watercolor Papers" - Sahlin Studio; "Happy" - Mommyish; Valorie Wibbens; Just Jaimee; Kim Jensen; Tangie Baxter; Pink Reptile Designs; Amy Wolff; FONT: Arial; JOURNALING: based on information from Wikipedia and Roadside America.com