Paul R Smith
Paul R Smith was born on the 24th of September, 1969 in El Paso, Texas. Him and his family moved to Tampa, Florida when he was nine years old and Paul enjoyed football, skateboards, and bikes. He grew fond of carpentry in high school and also grew to like working on cars. Like most kids that enjoy taking things apart just to see how they work, Paul helped a friend restore a dune buggy and in 1989, he graduated from Tampa Bay Vocational Tech High School and in October that year, joined the US Army.
Paul attended Basic Training at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri and was then sent to Germany for his first duty station in the 9th Engineer Battalion. He go on to serve in the Gulf War, spend time in Bosnia as part of Operation Joint Endeavor and Operation Joint Guardian, and be deployed to Kosovo in 2001 as part of a daily presence patrols. Paul completed the Advanced Non-Commissioned Officer Course and was promoted to Sergeant First Class in 2002. In 2003, the US was invading Iraq and Paul was assigned to B Company, 11th Engineer Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division. B Company was supporting the 2nd Battalion of the 7th Infantry during their trek across the Euphrates River and to Saddam International Airport in Baghdad. It was Paul’s actions on the 4th of April one mile east of the airport that earned him the Medal of Honor. The citation reads:
Sergeant First Class Paul R. Smith distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action with an armed enemy near Baghdad International Airport, Baghdad, Iraq on April 4, 2003. On that day, Sergeant First Class Smith was engaged in the construction of a prisoner of war holding area when his Task Force was violently attacked by a company-sized enemy force. Realizing the vulnerability of over 100 soldiers, Sergeant First Class Smith quickly organized a hasty defense consisting of two platoons of soldiers, one Bradley Fighting Vehicle and three armored personnel carriers. As the fight developed, Sergeant First Class Smith braved hostile enemy fire to personally engage the enemy with hand grenades and anti-tank weapons, and organized the evacuation of three wounded soldiers from an armored personnel carrier struck by a rocket propelled grenade and a 60 mm mortar round. Fearing the enemy would overrun their defenses, Sergeant First Class Smith moved under withering enemy fire to man a .50 caliber machine gun mounted on a damaged armored personnel carrier. In total disregard for his own life, he maintained his exposed position in order to engage the attacking enemy force. During this action, he was mortally wounded. His courageous actions helped defeat the enemy attack, and resulted in as many as 50 enemy soldiers killed, while allowing the safe withdrawal of numerous wounded soldiers. Sergeant First Class Smith's extraordinary heroism and uncommon valor are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, the Third Infantry Division 'Rock of the Marne,' and the United States Army.
Paul had written a letter to his parents before deploying to Iraq: "There are two ways to come home, stepping off the plane and being carried off the plane. It doesn't matter how I come home, because I am prepared to give all that I am to ensure that all my boys make it home." Because of his actions, he made true on that statement and saved the lives of almost 100 other soldiers and allowed for the mission to continue. Paul was cremated and because of his love for fishing, his ashes were scattered in the Gulf of Mexico. Exactly two years after his death, Paul’s son, David, received his father’s Medal of Honor from President Bush in a ceremony at the White House, along with the newly approved Medal of Honor Flag. Paul R Smith has a memorial marker in Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, Virginia; Section MD, grave 67.
