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Smoky, the Dog That Saved My Life
Smoky, the Dog That Saved My Life
THE BILL WYNNE STORY
Nancy Roe Pimm
BIOGRAPHIES FOR YOUNG READERS
Ohio University Press
Athens
Ohio University Press, Athens, Ohio 45701
© 2019 by Nancy Roe Pimm
All rights reserved
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Frontispiece: Bill Wynne, wearing his Eisenhower jacket, poses with Smoky and a US Coast Guard mascot, Sinbad the Sailor.
© Smoky War Dog LLC
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Pimm, Nancy Roe, author.
Title: Smoky, the dog that saved my life : the Bill Wynne story / Nancy Roe Pimm.
Other titles: Bill Wynne story
Description: Athens, OH : Ohio University Press, [2018] | Series: Biographies for young readers | Includes bibliographical references.
Identifiers: LCCN 2018043283| ISBN 9780821423561 (hc : alk. paper) | ISBN 9780821423578 (pb : alk. paper) | ISBN 9780821446591 (pdf)
Subjects: LCSH: Wynne, William A., 1922- | World War, 1939-1945--Dogs--Juvenile literature. | Dogs--War use--Juvenile literature. | Smoky (Dog)--Juvenile literature. | United States. Army Air Forces. Photo Reconnaissance Squadron, 26th--Biography--Juvenile literature. | World War, 1939-1945--Papua New Guinea--Juvenile literature. | Photographers--United States--Biography--Juvenile literature. | Dogs on television--United States--History--20th century--Juvenile literature. | Dog trainers--United States--Biography--Juvenile literature. | United States. National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics--Officials and employees--Biography--Juvenile literature. | Photojournalists--Ohio--Cleveland--Biography--Juvenile literature.
Classification: LCC D810.A65 P56 2018 | DDC 940.54/4973092 [B] --dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018043283
Contents
1. Surviving the Great Depression
6. Corporal Bill and Corporal Smoky
11. No Business Like Show Business
Author’s Note
WHILE RESEARCHING my book Bonded by Battle, a collection of stories about the friendships of soldiers and military dogs, I uncovered the story of Bill Wynne and Smoky. Bill and I met at a McDonald’s alongside an interstate. He told me story after story about his life, from living in an orphanage, to fighting in the war, working at NACA (now NASA), and his life as a photojournalist. I told him his story was much bigger than just the dog and the war story, although Smoky is the story within the story. This clever canine had become a war-dog hero, and most likely saved many lives. And, according to Animal Planet, Smoky is credited with being the first therapy dog. Bill believes that Smoky brought out the best in him and he brought out the best in her. Together, Bill and Smoky lifted the spirits of the sick and wounded in military hospitals, and when they returned to civilian life, they continued to visit hospitals and orphanages.
Years later, Bill and I met again. I had just finished writing The Jerrie Mock Story: The First Woman to Fly Solo around the World. I told him I should write
