Vet News: Paul R. Smith, Medal Of Honor Recipient

The children of the first US soldier to be awarded the Medal of Honor in Iraq unveiled a commemorative plaque in the Pentagon, adding the name of Sergeant First Class Paul Smith to a roll call of American combat heroes. Smith, who was posthumously awarded the highest US military honor this month by President George W. Bush, was killed April 4, 2003 while fighting off an attack by Saddam Hussein’s forces in the battle for the Baghdad airport. "Now Paul joins America’s truly most admired fraternity, those awarded the Medal of Honor," said Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who appeared to be choking back tears at the ceremony.

Smith’s children, David and Jessica, drew down a black drape from the plaque on which their father’s name was inscribed under the heading Operation Iraqi Freedom.

It has been two years since Smith was killed in action, firing a .50-caliber machine gun from atop a broken-down armored personnel carrier in a courtyard where he had been instructed to build a containment facility for detainees near the Baghdad airport. His actions that day saved the lives of more than 100 of his fellow soldiers.

The medal citation hailed Smith for "conspicuous gallantry" when he organized the defense of a US position and medical aid station near Baghdad airport against an attack by an Iraqis force estimated at 100.

He led two platoons backed by a Bradley fighting vehicle and three armored vehicles against the Iraqis who were moving into fighting positions overlooking a courtyard held by Smith and his men.

"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," the citation said.

"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," it said.The citation said the Iraqi attack was defeated and up to 50 Iraqi soldiers were killed while numerous US wounded were evacuated.

Other attendees at this ceremony included several of those in uniform who shared Smith’s final hours. According to the American Forces Press Service, they were:

• Spc. Michelle Chavez: She was the medic who worked on Smith after he was shot in the head. Chavez had attempted to remove his helmet to treat him, but found that the helmet was holding his head together. She worked for 30 minutes trying to save him.
• Pfc. Michael Seaman: He had been the driver of the armored personnel carrier. He was injured by a rocket-propelled grenade and did his best to keep feeding Smith ammunition during the battle. He wore an Army Commendation Medal with a valor device on his uniform.
• Spc. Louis Berwald: He had been manning the .50-caliber machine gun on the APC before it was struck with a mortar, inflicting injuries to his face, shoulder, and hand. He was evacuated from the courtyard and later received the Army Commendation Medal with valor device and a Purple Heart.
• Sgt. Matt Keller: He had crossed the courtyard with Smith where a Bradley fighting vehicle knocked down a gate so they could engage the enemy. He followed Smith through, firing AT-4 rockets and his weapon at enemy positions and then returned through the breach while Smith fired the .50-caliber machine gun from the armored personnel carrier. He received a Bronze Star with valor device.
• Sgt. Derek Pelletier: He had been firing anti-tank rockets at enemy positions alongside his boss. Knowing Smith almost four years, he was a loyal and dedicated subordinate. Pelletier was awarded the Bronze Star for his action in that battle. He was awarded another Bronze Star for heroism in a later battle where he saw Smith’s replacement hit by enemy fire. When he tried to pull him from the battlefield, he discovered that his boss had been cut in half. After duty in Iraq, he was admitted to the hospital for five months and then released from active duty to return to his home in Boston.

"American soldiers liberated the German people from tyranny in World War II," said his widow Birgit, a German citizen who is currently in the process of becoming a U.S. Citizen. "Today, another generation of American soldiers has given the Iraqi and the Afghan people a birth of freedom. This is an ideal that Paul truly believed in."

She was also going on to New York to see the World Trade Center site. She said she wanted to see what her husband had died for.

"Paul loved his country, he loved the army, and he loved his soldiers. He loved being a sapper. He died doing what he loved," said Birgit, fighting back tears. The ceremonies at the White House and the Pentagon were a prelude to a final ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, where the sound of "Taps" brought a somber moment of significance.

The Medal of Honor is rarely awarded. Adjoining plaques carry the names of Medal of Honor recipients dating back to the US Civil War. None were given for the 1991 Gulf War It was last awarded to two soldiers in the 1993 battle of Mogadishu that was the subject of the book and movie "Black Hawk Down."