The Story of SMOKEY BEAR - Life in America 

I had to come back to say this. I was in 7th grade when Smokey died. My brother was in 3rd. He came home from school that day and said that just about everyone was crying when the principal made the announcement on the p.a. system! What an impact that a mascot can make!

I nicknamed the old 1957 Ford Fairlane Wagon my dad hung onto and drove for a while "the Smokey (the) Bear car" because of the cool cigarette snuffer Smokey head that was on the dashboard!

The bear was the best way to go with getting people to understand about fires .

My Dad was a state forestor, now passed away. In the 1950s he and others from back East volunteered to fight terrible fires out in California for the US Forest Service. After that he attended college, getting a masters in forest management. A huge inspiration for him and many others was Smokey! As toddlers my brother and I had Smokey Bear stuffed bears! As well as comic books and posters and other lit telling about Smokey. Dad even had a magnetized Smokey Bear ashtray for his work truck. Smokey was and still is big I guess! RIP, Dad & Smokey! 🌹

My dads best friend (long passed )was THE first smoky the Bear back in the 1930’s his name was Bill Floor when he retired he lived in Homeland ca. Outside Hemet

Smokey The Bear is legendary! 🐻

I also remember the commercials with the crying Indian about litter prevention.

Dad always had a mountain cabin and we loved Smokey the Bear! We did our best to help.

Ok. I'll say it. Best channel on youtube.

Nice story...thank you kindly for doing what you do. 🙂

Awesome thank you 🙏

I saw him several times at The National Zoo in grade School in the 1960s on field trips

Who watched Bambi as a child and cried? When I saw it in the 60's i was disturbed by it for a long time.

In 1969, Rocky & Bullwinkle appeared in a psa for Smokey the Bear. In the 1970's Knucklehead Smith teamed up with Smokey the Bear in another public service announcement and so did the late Vickie-Sue Robinson. Good times, baby, good times.

What a great video. Great job!!!!

Smoky the Bear we had a 45 record with the song about Smoky the Bear. When, I was young we went camping every summer in the Smoky Mountains usually at a AOK Campground and, usually a lot of my moms family came along with us. I remember we met him right before my mom took me over to the swings. Well, that was the highlight of day, because, I had been asking my parents if, I’d ever get to meet him. Well, right after, I met him, I ended up getting a busted lip.

I remember when Smokey died in 76(i was 8 yrs old). I remember Walter Cronkite announcing it on CBS news.

I've volunteered for the Forest Service for 30 years. In the 90's, the Smokey Bear costume got a physically fit redesign vs. the old, rounder costume. The new costume also had a cooling unit in it as wearing the costume could be very hot.

I remember Smokey but I don't remember the song, I'll have to RU-vid it. Of course you have to do Woodsy Owl next. Give a hoot don't pollute.

In 1969 there was a Smokey Bear cartoon.

Everyone loves Smokey 💗

Once again what a wonderful story... thank you for this great channel you have produced for all of us❣️we appreciate it and you 🙏

Next stop, 100K subscribers! I hope you'll video yourself with your plaque, so we can put a face to the wonderful content and excellent voice. Among everything else, I have to give some love to the other commenters. I sincerely enjoy reading about your memories, big and small! I look forward to them every time we get a new video. Thank you for making this little corner of the web fun and welcoming.

Raise Your Hand if you had a Smokey Bear plush toy well into your teen years. The Focus should turn back to snuffing out camp fires completely before you leave the campsite. Here in Colorado we have TOO Many smoldering fire rings left.

I loved this! Thank you for sharing this with us 👍👍

I can remember reading about Smokey in elementary school, and actually having a Smokey mascot ( a guy in costume) come to our school. Good memories- thanks!

Fact: Smokey Bear made a cameo appearance in a Walt Disney cartoon short, “In the Bag.”

I absolutely love smoky the bear !! And again I really like your channel. Your video aren't to long but still full if very interesting information. Please keep up the great work !!

I grew up in Lincoln County NM and have been to that museum quite a few times, first as a child, then parent, and finally grandparent.

I still remember it as "Smokey THE bear", just saying🤔🤙

Seeing Smokey's posters and the old PSA's on TV frightened me as a kid, they made me shiver listening to his deep low voice and his cold steery eyes just looking at you.

I cannot believe I learned so much I never knew about Smokie Bear in a 6-minute video! I love them all but this one is now on the top of list of favorites. Thank you!

🎵Smokey the bear Smokey the bear, a proulin An a groulen and sniffin the air. He can find a fire before it starts to flame that's why they call him Smokey that's how he got his name!🎵

Smokey Bear had his own cartoon show in the late 60's. It was called The Smokey Bear Show.I used to watch hat when I was little.

Great job! Many good memories about Smokey growing up. I got some sort of Smokey kit from the State ( Oregon)Forestry Dept with lots of cool Smokey and 'Keep Oregon Green' stickers. We did actually learn a lot from that campaign. Thanks for doing this video

My grandpa Jackson Weaver was the OG voice of Smokey. This was really cool to see.

I was 4 years old in 1950 and vividly remember seeing a Smokey the Bear commercial on TV showing a burned-out forest area with a road in it leading off to nowhere. The background music was the song, "Look Down, Look Down That Lonesome Road". I ran screaming and crying from the room. Sensory overload on top of living in the country, where my mother was scared to death of being isolated. I'll never forget that.

Smokey literally changed my life. :)

How many people thought his name was Smokey The Bear? Over the years songs were written and putting "The," in between his names. Even here in Canada, we loved Smokey Bear.

Thank you for this one! Only you can prevent forest fires!🐻🚫🔥 We ♥️smokey!

I had my Smokey the Bear since I was born in 1968! The only teddy bear I carried around! I'm 54 now and gave him to my munchkins they pass him on to theirs.

As a child I had a stuffed Smokey the Bear animal doll whatever you call it and you would pull the cord and it would say help prevent forest fires they say a different now I do not know whatever happened to that I sure wish I had it back and every time I see a Smokey the Bear commercial brings back awesome memories!!!, 😢😁

Hill City High School (Rangers) in South Dakota is the only school district in the U.S. that is authorized to use Smokey Bear as their mascot. Their team name of the Rangers was given to them by the Forest Service in honor of the assistance that 25 high school boys provided in containing a large forest fire near Hill City in 1939. The Forest Service also gave them special permission to use Smokey as their mascot. The school colors are green and gold to reflect the National Forest Service theme.

Thanks for sharing this. Can’t tell you how many times I saw the ad for this on the back of women’s magazines.

My sister had a Smokey the Bear teddy bear when we were kids.

We grew us knowing him as SMOKEY THE BEAR. Why couldn’t they just leave it be!

I am glad you addressed his over-success.

Great information about ole Smokey.

They could sure use Smokey the Bear today in Northern California! The smoke from those western fires, can be detected all over the country

Thank you so much for your content and please keep it coming.

Rankin-Bass had produced the Smokey the Bear TV special on NBC in 1966 and a weekly Saturday morning cartoon series on ABC in 1969.

Smokey will always be my hero 💙💙

I always enjoyed Smokey The Bear

If only the good ole commercials would run on tv in today’s modern time… a lot of the good ole days has faded away … I often wonder if the good ole messages of life … would the world be crazy today … life was better back then with positive messages… today’s commercials are sleazy … in my opinion….

Thanks…..enjoyed this video:)

Great story. I was actually smokey the bear for Halloween this year.

I grew up going to a state park with a Smokey figure in the playground.

Smokey needs to have his own television series where he goes around and fighting fires. I am surprised in the 90's they didn't try that. Seriously, I would have loved that than Captain Planet.

I learned a lot from this! Thank you.

Smokey Appeared In The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade In A Few Years Back Before His Final Flight In 1993 After The Original Balloon Is Retired In 2019 He Returned To 34th Street

That was very good. Next you should do McGrath the chime dog

Smokey Bear was a scary character for me when I was a child.

Do a video on McGruff the Crime Dog.

That was fun! ThNKS, i SUBBED!

Remember folks; "Only YOU can prevent FOREST FIRES." Be kind and true.

Smokey THE Bear. I don't care what revisionist historians say!

He also had his own Hanna Barbera cartoon

I actually met Smokey at the zoo in Wash DC in the early 60s. I thought it was a damn shame to keep this historical figure in a cage at a zoo all of his life. He should have been in a wildlife sanctuary where he could roam. A lot of hipocrisy regarding animal welfare and an ad campaign.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️‍🔥

IIRC there were rumors about having a Smokey Bear video game in the late 1980's or early 1990's. The plug got pulled on that though. The game was supposed to teach fire safety and have you put out wildfires with Smokey. Then there was a commercial I remember seeing where Smokey Bear tried a bit of a rap to prevent forest fires, and then said he'd rather give the truth straight to everyone.

The fires are more deadly today than back then. California has neglected cleaning up dead brush and that is deadly fuel.

I always figured the real Smokey bear came before the mascot.

I thought it was only because of the bear cub that was rescued in a fire, nice to know how it all started now.

It's Smokey THE Bear! Smokey THE Bear! Smokey THE Bear! What psycho named him "Smokey Bear"???? I still remember the whacked-out radio commercials, of the conversation between a father and his son. The dad referred to him as "Smokey the Bear", and the bratty kid "corrected" his Dad, by saying, "You don't say 'Easter the Bunny', or 'Santa the Claus'" Finally the dad starts calling him "Smokey Bear". That's as psychotic as the other two names of "Easter the Bunny" and "Santa the Claus". It's Easter Bunny, Santa Claus, and Smokey THE Bear!!! Go ahead trolls, with your wacko comments.

After hearing this I have no idea why Canada decided to replace him with a generic furry

Obviously the "funds" uncle Sam collected in royalties.... didn't make it to it's intended purpose...

Anyone notice the years with 2? 1922, 1942 1952 it's 2022 now

🙂

You didn't mention the cartoon from 1969.

Smoky needs to crack down on those fire starting gender reveal parties.

4 people down voted? Really?!!

You completely left out who did the voice of Smokey Bear

Has smokey been vaccinated ?

Too bad Pacific Gas and Electric won't listen to Smokey.

Oyoeoh

Merchant Mariner campaign on my page USS Ironwood privateer

Smokey the Bear is one of the reasons we have so many wild fires.

IT's a shame that ole Smokey got caught up in the MeToo movement and is doing hard time.

Now we have irresponsible,no common sense campers burning down our forests.

Lol put out some HOLLYWEIRD characters and everybody listens like little dumb sheep

What about Antifa and BLM fires ?

But where is "Boo Boo"?