Her first day at The Plain Dealer was March 24, 1952, three days after the world's first rock concert -- Alan Freed's Moondog Coronation Ball at the old Cleveland Arena. She retired 50 years later on March 28, 2002. She lives in Lakewood.
For the complete story click on the following:
Quite a crowd appeared at the Wild Mango at Great Northern Shopping Center for the April 29, 2011 Pd retirees luncheon. We got some of them to give us some notes on what they've been doing since leaving The PD.
Hatch's sister's funeral. " We love 'California'. The sun shines everyday. The women are all beautiful and the wine is cheap," he said.
Tom Gaumer joined Alana Baranack and Tom Quinn. Gaumer is a docent at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and a volunteer on the Cuyahoga National Park Railroad. Alana continues her obituary work while Quinn is an editor at an ecology newspaper.
Stu Abbey, with his wife Bobby, has been doing artistic things and has a website: ArtofStuartAbbey.blog.com, called Paintings and Ponderings.
Wilma Salisbury, Janet Beigle French who organized the soiree and Bob McAuley were there.
r dates of a special series that ran in 1983. ")
Brian and Terry (Considine) Williams and their daughter Katy now live in Hudson, Oh, "having returned to the 'North Coast' after living on both the Pacific (San Diego) and Atlantic (Long Island) for 30 years. Brian was an editor and sometimes columnist for Newsday and Terry reported and did features for the Long Island desk of the N.Y.Times. We've been back about five years. Our email address is go minnie@bigplanet.com." Brian worked on the PD's city desk and left about 1969.This item was from Steve Esrati et al
On April 25, 2011, (former PD photographer) Bill Wynne, along with two grandsons (Will and Andy
Tabar) flew to Liverpool, England to receive a special British honor for
Smoky. The "guys"
were indeed in England for the Royal Wedding but weren't in London. They
watched the pomp along with about 2,000 other people on a big screen TV
in a park in Liverpool. They are flying back May 2nd and will probably
be a bit jet lagged. Congratulations to Bill Wynne and Smoky!
(billsmoky@aol.com)
Regards,
Marcia Wynne Deering
News Release: UK
Date of issue: 27 April 2011
www.pdsa.org.uk
British honour for American soldier dog, Smoky
Smoky, a Yorkshire Terrier who became an American World War II mascot,
today (27 April 2011) received the PDSA Certificate for animal bravery.
The presentation of the posthumous award to Smoky took place at the PDSA
PetAid hospital in Liverpool. Smoky’s owner, Bill Wynne (age 89), a
United States veteran of the war in the Pacific, who had travelled from
his home in Cleveland Ohio for the ceremony, said he was delighted and
honoured: “Smoky was not just my dog she was a friend to everyone who
served alongside us in the Pacific conflict. She was an inspiration to
everyone she met during her wartime career and later in civilian life
too. For her bravery to be recognised in Britain is very special.”
The act of bravery that earned the courageous little dog the PDSA
Certificate took place in January 1945. Bill and Smoky were part of the
150,000 strong US fighting force taking part in the Southwest Pacific
Theatre of Operations in the Philippine Islands. As the Battle of Luzon
raged, Corporal Bill Wynne of the 26th photographic Reconnaissance
Squadron, 5th United States Air Forces, was approached by Sergeant Gapp
of the Communications section with a request: could Smoky, the
Squadron’s mascot, take vital communication cables through an eight inch
wide, 70 foot long drainage culvert under the airstrip? If she could,
the airstrip would not have to be dug up or the men and ‘planes exposed
to the constant enemy fire.
Smoky, who was only seven inches tall and weighed just four pounds,
delivered the cable with huge encouragement and praise from her devoted
owner Bill. In doing so she protected the lives of 250 men and saved 40
US war planes from being destroyed by Japanese bombers.
“When Smoky was faced with her moment of truth, her ultimate test of
character, this brave terrier did not shy away from her duty or
disappoint her master,” said Jan McLoughlin, PDSA Director General, who
presented Smoky’s posthumous Certificate for animal bravery. “Even if
Smoky felt fear, did not stop her, nor prevent her from succeeding at
the very moment it mattered most to her friends and colleagues.”
Smoky’s reward that day in 1945 was the biggest steak the canteen could
find. She also won the recognition that she was no longer just a mascot:
from then on she was regarded by her fellow soldiers as a serving war
dog. With Bill at her side, Smoky served in the Pacific until the end of
the war.
After the formal instrument of surrender was signed on 2 September 1945
on the battleship USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, Bill and Smoky began to
prepare for demob and the journey home to Cleveland. By this time
Smoky’s coat, which Bill made from a green felt card table cover,
bristled with military honours including Wings for 12 combat missions,
the Asiatic Pacific campaign ribbon with eight battle stars, the
Philippine Liberation Ribbon with two battle stars, and two Presidential
Unit Citations (equivalent of the UK’s Distinguished Service Cross).
Smoky died peacefully in her bed in Bill’s home, on 21 February 1957.
There are six official memorials to Smoky in the US.
The PDSA Certificate for animal bravery was instituted in 2001 and each
winner’s story is a unique account of inspiring bravery. Smoky is the
eleventh recipient, and the first animal that served in WWII to be
awarded the Certificate. Smoky has six Memorials nationally in the U.S.
Smoky is the heroine of a memoir by Wynne titled " YORKIE DOODLE DANDY,
or The Other Woman Was A Real dog."
PDSA - founded as the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals of the Poor
in 1917 by Maria Dickin - is now the UK's leading veterinary charity.
PDSA provides over 2 million free veterinary treatments for sick pets of
needy and eligible owners each year. The charity does not receive
government funding but relies entirely on donations to carry out its
work. Maria Dickin CBE introduced the PDSA Dickin Medal in 1943 to
recognise animal gallantry during WWII and its aftermath. .The PDSA Gold
Medal for animal bravery, the Certificate and Commendation were
introduced in 2001.
For more details go to www.pdsa.org.uk/about-us/animal-bravery-awards
ENDS
Notes to Editors
PDSA is the UK’s leading veterinary charity, providing free veterinary
care for the sick and injured pets of people in need and promoting
responsible pet ownership. For further information, photos and
interviews, please contact Emily Malcolm or Isabel George in the Press
Office on 01952 204 767, or e-mail malcolm.emily@pdsa.org.uk or
george.isabel@pdsa.org.uk. For more information about PDSA visit
www.pdsa.org.uk/mediacentre
