William "Bill" A. Wynne is an American author, decorated World War II veteran, dog trainer, photographer, award winning photojournalist, and community advocate. He also owned and trained one of the most famous dogs in history.
Video Bill Wynne
Personal life
Born in Scranton, Pennsylvania to Martin A. and Beatrice Caffrey Wynne, Bill grew up in Cleveland, Ohio after having moved there as an infant. He was married to Margaret Roberts Wynne on September 28, 1946, and they remained married for over 57 years until the time of her death, in 2004. Together they had and raised nine children. So far, they have twenty-seven grandchildren, and twenty great-grandchildren.
Maps Bill Wynne
Education
West Technical High School - Cleveland, Ohio. Specialized in Horticulture, with elective courses in photography.
Graduate of USAAF Photo Lab Technician School - Lowry Field, Colorado.
Graduate of Aerial Photo School - Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Hall Of Fame Inductions
In 2006: Wynne was inducted into the West Tech Alumni Hall of Fame.
On May 26, 2009: Bill was inducted into the Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame in Columbus, OH.
On October 28, 2009 he was also inducted into the Ohio Press and Journalism Hall of Fame in Cleveland, OH.
Military service
World War II (January 12, 1943 - November 27, 1945)
Served 24 months in the Southwest Pacific and the Far East with the 26th Photo Recon Squadron and the 6th Photo Recon Group. Served at New Guinea, Biak Island, Luzon, Okinawa, and Korea.
As aerial photographer, he flew 13 combat missions with the 3rd Emergency Rescue Squadron from Biak Island to Ceram, Halmahera, Celebes, Borneo, and Mindanao between September and December 1944.
With the 26th Photo Recon Squadron he also worked as a lab technician and as a camera installer on F-5 Lightning ( Photo Recon P-38s) reconnaissance planes.
He was awarded two U.S. Presidential Unit Citations and eight Battle Stars.
Smoky
While stationed on the Island of New Guinea, Mr. Wynne bought a Yorkshire Terrier, which he later named Smoky, off of a fellow soldier for 2 Australian pounds, equal to approximately US$6.44 at that time.
Their adventures together ranged from flying in PBY Catalinas to assisting engineers with getting the communications operational at an airbase at Lingayen Gulf, Luzon, where Wynne had Smoky drag a telegraph wire, tied to her collar, under a runway, through a 70-foot-long (21 m) culvert only 8 inches (200 mm) high. Wynne and Smoky also entertained troops and wounded soldiers with the more than 200 tricks Wynne taught her. After the war, Mr. Wynne brought Smoky back to the United States carrying her in a modified oxygen mask case. After a brief stint in Hollywood, and becoming famous back home in Cleveland, they starred on their own shows on all three television channels Cleveland had at the time. Smoky was famous for her tricks, her spirit and her size. The four pound Yorkshire Terrier emerged from a jungle in the South Pacific and became a war hero. She now has six memorials honoring her, nationally.
"Corporal" Smoky, died at the age of 14, on February 20, 1957.
Books
Yorkie Doodle Dandy - CO: Top Dog Enterprises, LLC, 1996,
Angel in a Foxhole - Unpublished
References
Source of article : Wikipedia
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