SGT Paul Calvin Smith

courtesy of Des Philippet

SGT Paul Calvin Smith was born 25 Apr 1922 in Danville, Illinois. He was the oldest of the 2 children born to Robert Calvin and his 2nd wife Bessie Ann (Baird) Smith. His father was a farmer and Baptist minister who had moved often in his religious service. Paul had 5 older half-siblings from his parents' first marriages. In his lifetime,in Quang  the family had lived in Jackson, Randolph and Perry counties in Illinois. Paul was working as hired hand for John Nelson near Ellensburg, Washington.

Paul had been drafted in late 1943 or early 1944 and sent to England in May or June of 1944. Once there he had been assigned to C Company 116th Infantry. He had limited training before taking part in the landings at Omaha Beach on D-Day, 6 Jun 1944, but had survived and fought with the unit since that time. By November 1944 he had been promoted to SGT and was serving as a squad leader in C Company as the unit began the attack on German forces in Baesweiler, Germany. SGT Smith was killed in action on 18 Nov 1944 in Baesweiler.

SGT Smith is buried in the Netherlands American Cemetery.

Paul's half-brother, Keith William Johnson served in the U.S. Army during WW2. Grandfather, Samuel Ross Smith, served as a PVT in K Company 32nd Illinois Infantry (USA) and grandfather, William Baird, served as a PVT in E Company 5th Kansas Cavalry (USA) in the Civil War. His sister Mary's son, SGT George Robert Pflasterer (USMC) was killed in an accident in Quang Nam province in the Republic of Vietnam on 5 Jul 1967.