Hopalong hi, there. Well, whatcha doing way back there . Come on up here. [laughs] ah, thats better. I am glad you dropped by. I have got a little story i think youll like. It is about a fourlegged friend of mine. No, i dont mean topper back there. This happened awhile back in the beautiful capitan Mountain Country of new mexico, on the Lincoln National forest. It was may time on the capitan, dry and hot but still nice and peaceful. All the animals in the forest were having a grand old time in the sunshine of spring. There was one little, threemonthold fella in particular who did not have a care in the world. He was spending his time having fun, agrowlin and aprowlin and ascratchin. Thats right. That bear cub did not have a care in the world, and somebody, a twolegged somebody, got careless. It took several hundred men five days to lick that fire. 17,000 acres of timber were destroyed, timber that could have been used for homes and furniture, along with the mills that could have turned it out. A lot of wild animals lost their homes. Many lost their lives. But there was one little fella who somehow survived that terrible fire. Yes, the little bear cub came through and was found clinging to what was left of a small tree. New mexico game warden ray bell rushed that burned and frightened cub to the nearest Animal Hospital by plane. Warden bell saw to it that he was given the best of care. His burned feet responded to treatment, his hair grew back, and with a little belly full of food, he grew fat and sassy. They named him Little Smokey, and a special piper cub plane took him on another trip by air. This time, it was clear across the country, over americas farms, factories, and cities. Tiny Little Smokey and his plane landed in washington, our nations capital. Here, along with his official escort, new mexicos assistant state game warden, homer c. Pickens, Little Smokey was greeted in the rain by a very enthusiastic committee. Chief Forrester Lyle watts accepted Little Smokey as a gift to the state foresters and uncle sams Forest Service from the new Mexico Department of game and fish. But for our little hero, that welcome in the rain was only the beginning of a new and worthwhile life. On the first sunny day, Little Smokey was presented to the national zoo in washington and became a living symbol of forest Fire Prevention. The kids went for the whole idea like a bear goes for honey, and Little Smokey seemed to like the new setup, too. It was really a big occasion. Senator chavez from new mexico was there to welcome his former constituent to his home in the zoo. The state foresters joined in dedicating the life of Little Smokey to the schoolchildren of america to serve as an honesttogoodness reminder of the danger of forest fires and the need to save our forests and wildlife from destruction by fire. [chuckles] youre probably wondering if Little Smokey has lived up to all of the fine things that were planned for him. You can take my word for it, he has. You see, i had a personal invitation to visit Little Smokey a while back. Of course, he is kind of a big smokey now. A year or so will do that to a bear. I was mighty glad to see him, and i soon learned that i was not the only one. That smokey is a famous character, all right. He sure liked the oranges i brought him, but i would do that for any forestfirepreventing pal. I hate forest fires worse than all of the diamondback rattlesnakes in the world. Thats why try to do my little bit towards preventing them. I guess thats why the forestry boys were on hand too and why they gave me a special certificate making me an honorary forest ranger. That really made me proud, because it put me right on smokeys team. Of course, smokey had to check the document to see it was genuine and to scratch his seal of approval on it. On that trip, i learned just how much good smokey has done in preventing mancaused forest fires, mostly as a model for those car cards and posters you see most everywhere. Smokey and his Important Message sure get around. On mail trucks along the city streets. In the buses and trolley cars. In the woods. Comics. N in the and now theres a song about smokey that all schoolchildren saying and take part. You will find him in the forest so ways living happily attention pay smokey the bear smokey the bear can find a fire if youve ever seen the fire when the fire smokeynow whaty tells you when youre passing through dore are some things you can smokey the bear smokey the bear firen find a which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap. Org] bear, a good reminder that we need to protect against wildfires. Well, thats the smoke story of smokey bear. So lets be help careful in the forests always and remember only we, you and i, can prevent forest fires. So long for now, partners. Each week, American History provides america featurese department the Los Angeles Fire Department and promoting Fire Prevention and safety