Paul Ray Smith | |
|---|---|
 Smith in 2003 | |
| Born | September 24, 1969 El Paso, Texas, United States |
| Died | April 4, 2003 (aged 33) Baghdad, Iraq |
| Buried | Cenotaph at Arlington National Cemetery[Ashes in Gulf of Mexico] |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/ | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1989–2003 |
| Rank | Sergeant First Class |
| Unit | 11th Engineer Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division |
| Battles/wars | Gulf War Bosnian War Kosovo War Iraq War |
| Awards | Medal of Honor Bronze Star Medal Purple Heart |
Paul Ray Smith (September 24, 1969 – April 4, 2003) was a United States Army soldier who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. While serving with B Company, 11th Engineer Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division in Baghdad, his team was attacked by a group of Iraqi soldiers and after a firefight he was killed by Iraqi fire. For his actions during this battle he was awarded the Medal of Honor. Two years later, the medal, along with the newly approved Medal of Honor flag, were presented to his family on behalf of him; specifically to his eleven-year-old son David, at a White House ceremony by President George W. Bush.[1]
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Transcription
Have you ever been in an argument about Nuclear Power? We have, and we found it frustrating and confusing So let's try and a grip with this topic It all started in the 1940s. After the shock and horror of the war in the use of the atomic bomb, Nuclear Energy promised to be a peaceful spin-off of the new technology, helping the world get back on its feet. Everyone's imagination was running wild. Would electricity become free? Could nuclear power help settle the antarctic? Would there be Nuclear powered cars, planes, or houses? It seemed that this was just a few years of hard work away. One thing was certain, the future was atomic! Just a few years later, there was a sort of atomic-ish hangover. As it turned out, Nuclear Power was very complicated, and very expensive. Turning physics into engineering was easy on paper, but hard in real life. Also, private companies thought that Nuclear power was much too risky as an investment. Most of them would much rather stick with gas, coal, and oil. But there were many people who didn't just want to abandon the promise of the atomic age: An exciting new technology, The prospect of enormously cheap electricity, The prospect of being independent of oil and gas imports, And in some cases, A secret desire to posses atomic weapons, provided a strong motivation to keep going. Nuclear power's finest hour finally came in the early 1970s, when war in the middle east caused oil prices to skyrocket worldwide. Now, commercial interest, and investment, picked up at a dazzling pace. More than half of all the nuclear reactors in the world were built between 1970 and 1985. But which type of reactor to build given how many different types there were to choose from? A surprising underdog candidate won the day. The light water reactor. It wasn't very innovative and it wasn't too popular with scientists, but it had some decisive advantages: It was there, it worked, and it wasn't terribly expensive So what does a light water reactor do? Well, the basic principle is shockingly simple. It heats up water using an artificial chain reaction. Nuclear fission releases several million times more energy than any other chemical reaction could. Really heavy elements on the brink of stability like Uranium 235, get bombarded with Neutrons. The Neutron is absorbed, but the resulting is unstable. Most of the time, it immediately splits into fast-moving, lighter elements, some, additional free Neutrons, and energy in the form of radiation. The radiation heats the surrounding water, while the Neutron repeats the process with other atoms, releasing more Neutrons and radiation in a closely controlled chain reaction. Very different form the fast, destructive, runaway reaction in an atomic bomb. In our light water reactor, a moderator is needed to control the Neutron's energy. Simple, ordinary water does the job, which is very practical, since water is used to drive the turbines anyway. The light water reactor became prevalent because it's simple and cheap. However, it's neither the safest, most efficient, no technically elegant nuclear reactor. The renewed nuclear reactor hype lasted barely a decade though. In 1979, the three mile island nuclear plant in Pennsylvania, barely escaped the catastrophe, when it's core melted. In 1986, the Chernobyl catastrophe directly threatened central Europe with the radioactive cloud. And in 2011 the drown out Fukushima disaster sparks new discussions and concerns While in the 1980s two hundred and eighteen new nuclear power reactors went live, their number and nucleus global share of electricity production has stagnated since the end of the 80s So what's the situation today? Today, nuclear energy meets around 10% of the world's energy demand. That are about 439 nuclear reactors in 31 countries. About 70 new reactors are under construction in 2015, most of them in countries, which are growing quickly. Or at all, 160 new reactors are planned world-wide. Most nuclear reactors were build more than 25 years ago with pretty old technology. More than 80% are various types of light water reactor. Today, many countries are faced with a choice: The expensive replacement of the aged reactors possibly with more efficient, but less tested models, or move away from nuclear power towards newer or older technology with different cost and environmental impacts. So, should we use nuclear energy? The pro and contra arguments will be presented here next week. Subscribe and then you won't miss it! Our channel has a new sponsor, audible.com If you use the URL audible.com/nutshell, you can get a free audiobook and support our channel. Producing our videos takes a lot of time and we fill a lot of it by listing audiobooks. For really entertaining book, we recommend "Into thin air" by Jon Krakauer. He's a great writer and the story is really absorbing and true. Go to audible.com/nutshell to get the book for free. thanks a lot to audible.com for supporting our channel and to you for watching
Early life and education
Smith was born on September 24, 1969, in El Paso, Texas, to Ivan Smith and Janice Pvirre, but when he was nine the family moved to Tampa, Florida. As a child he attended public schools and enjoyed sports, especially American football. He also liked riding skateboards and bicycles, playing pranks with his friends and younger sister Lisa. In high school he became interested in carpentry, even finding a part-time job as a carpenter's assistant. He also liked to work on cars, especially old ones, and enjoyed taking things apart to see how they worked, even restoring a dune buggy with a friend. In 1989 he graduated from Tampa Bay Vocational Tech High School and shortly thereafter joined the United States Army in October 1989.[2]
Military career
Smith attended Basic Training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, in 1989, before being sent to Germany for his first duty station, where he joined the 9th Engineer Battalion. Later, he served during the Gulf War. He deployed with B company in October 1996 as part of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, the covering force for Operation Joint Endeavor and Operation Joint Guardian; the battalion returned to Schweinfurt in April 1997.[2] In 1999 he was posted to the 11th Engineer Battalion, with which he was deployed to Kosovo in May 2001, where he was responsible for daily presence patrols in the town of Gnjilane. In the spring of 2002, he received a promotion to sergeant first class and completed the Advanced Non-Commissioned Officer Course in August 2002.[2]
As part of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, he was assigned to B Company, 11th Engineer Battalion of the 3rd Infantry Division.
Medal of Honor action
Smith's company was supporting the 2nd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment as it made its way through the Karbala Gap, across the Euphrates River and to Saddam International Airport (BIAP) in Baghdad. On April 4, 2003, a 100-man force was assigned to block the highway between Baghdad and the airport, about one mile east of the airport. After a brief battle, several of the Iraqis were captured. Smith spotted a walled enclosure nearby with a tower overlooking it. He and his squad set about building an impromptu enemy prisoner of war (EPW) holding area in the enclosure. Smith and 16 other men used an Armored Combat Earthmover (similar to a bulldozer) to knock a hole in the south wall of the courtyard. On the north side, there was a metal gate that Smith assigned several men to guard. These men noticed 50–100 Iraqi soldiers who had taken positions in trenches just beyond the gate. He summoned a Bradley Fighting Vehicle to attack their position. Three nearby M113 armored personnel carriers came to support the attack. An M113 was hit, possibly by a mortar, and all three crewmen were wounded. The Bradley, damaged and running low on ammunition, withdrew to reload during a lull in the battle. Smith organized the evacuation of the injured M113 crewmen. However, behind the courtyard was a military aid station crowded with 100 combat casualties. To protect it from being overrun, Smith chose to fight on rather than withdraw with the wounded.[3]
Meanwhile, some Iraqi soldiers had taken position in the tower overlooking the courtyard, just over the west wall. The Iraqis now had the Americans in the courtyard under an intense crossfire. Smith took command of the M113 and ordered a driver to position it so that he could attack both the tower and the trenches. He manned the M113's machine gun, going through three boxes of ammunition. A separate team led by First Sergeant Tim Campbell attacked the tower from the rear, killing the Iraqis. As the battle ended, Smith's machine gun fell silent. His comrades found him slumped in the turret hatch. His armored vest was peppered with 13 bullet holes, the vest's ceramic armor inserts, both front and back, cracked in numerous places (the M113 he was manning was not fitted with protective ACAV gun shields which had been standard since the Vietnam War, later in the Iraq conflict, modern gunshields were fielded). However, the fatal shot, one of the last from the tower, had entered his neck and passed through his brain, killing him.[4]
Before deploying to Iraq, Smith had written to his parents, saying "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."[5] Smith was cremated and his ashes were scattered in the Gulf of Mexico, where he loved to fish.
He has a memorial marker in Arlington National Cemetery Arlington, Virginia, and his marker can be found in memorial Section MD, lot 67.[6] He also has a memorial at his high school outside of the school's Navy Junior ROTC building.
At the time of his death Smith had served in the United States Army for thirteen years, and for his actions during the battle, he posthumously received the Medal of Honor. On April 4, 2005, exactly two years after he was killed, his eleven-year-old son David received the Medal of Honor on behalf of his father from President George W. Bush, along with a Medal of Honor flag.
Personal life
Smith was survived by his wife Birgit, son David and stepdaughter Jessica.[7]
Awards and decorations
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| Right breast | Left breast | ||||||
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| Valorous Unit Award | Superior Unit Award | Combat Action Badge | |||||
| Medal of Honor | Bronze Star | Purple Heart | |||||
| Army Commendation Medal with 4 bronze Oak leaf clusters (5 awards) |
Army Achievement Medal with 1 silver Oak leaf cluster (6 awards) |
Army Good Conduct Medal with 4 bronze Good conduct loops (5 awards) | |||||
| National Defense Service Medal with 1 Service star |
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal | Southwest Asia Service Medal with 3 campaign stars | |||||
| Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal | Global War on Terrorism Service Medal | Armed Forces Service Medal | |||||
| NCO Professional Development Ribbon with award numeral 2 |
Army Service Ribbon | Army Overseas Service Ribbon with award numeral 3 | |||||
| NATO Medal for ex-Yugoslavia |
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia) |
Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait) | |||||
| Sapper Tab | Marksmanship Badge with rifle component bar | ||||||
- SFC Smith also earned the German Marksmanship Badge and French Armed Forces Commando Badge.
Medal of Honor citation
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty:
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.[8]
Other honors
- In 2006, he was posthumously awarded the De Fleury Medal (Gold Medal) from the United States Army Corps of Engineers presented by Lieutenant General Carl A. Strock who was, at the time, the Chief of Engineers.[9]
- The Counter Explosive Hazards Center school house in Fort Leonard Wood, MO is named in Smith's honor.
- The U.S. Post Office in Holiday, Florida, and the United States Army Simulation and Training Technology Center in Orlando, Florida, have been named in his honor.[10][11]
- New middle schools were named in honor in Holiday, Florida, on August 25, 2006, as well as one in Tampa, Florida Sgt. Paul R. Smith Middle School on August 18, 2008, and in his hometown of Tampa, Florida, on April 27, 2009.[12]
- Smith is also honored in the America's Army Game with information about him and a simulation of his battle.[13]
- Birgit Smith, Smith's widow, sponsored the USS Freedom, the first Freedom class littoral combat ship, and her initials are welded on the ship's keel.[7] The couple's Saint Christopher medal and wedding bands are also embedded in the ship's mast.[14]
- New fitness centers at Fort Benning and Fort Stewart, Georgia, as well as one in Camp Victory, Baghdad, Iraq are named in his honor.[15]
- The education center at Fort Stewart is named in his honor.
- Smith's last battle is mentioned in the non-fiction book Weapons. Key Weapons & Weapon Systems from 1860 to the Present.[16]
See also
References
- ^ Video: George W Bush 20050404_5_. George W. Bush Presidential Speech Archive. April 4, 2005. Retrieved February 20, 2012.
- ^ a b c "Sergeant First Class Paul R. Smith, Medal of Honor". United States Army. August 25, 2009. Retrieved February 3, 2010.
- ^ Larson, Major Chuck; John McCain; General Tommy Franks (January 6, 2009). Heroes Among Us: Firsthand Accounts of Combat From America's Most Decorated Warriors in Iraq and Afghanistan (Reprint ed.). NAL Trade. pp. 185–196. ISBN 978-0-451-22334-0.
- ^ Weinberger, Caspar W.; Wynton C. Hall (May 29, 2007). Home of the Brave. Macmillan. pp. 210–218. ISBN 978-0-7653-5703-8.
- ^ "No Greater Honor – The Atlantic (June 2, 2008)". The Atlantic. June 2, 2008. Retrieved July 18, 2009.
- ^ "Smith, Paul Ray". ANC Explorer. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
- ^ "Medal of Honor – Sergeant First Class Paul R. Smith". Retrieved July 18, 2009.
- ^ "The United States Army Engineer Regiment presents the de Fleury Medal" (PDF). Retrieved May 21, 2015.
- ^ "Public Law 108-292". Retrieved July 18, 2009. – to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 4737 Mile Stretch Drive in Holiday, Florida, as the "Sergeant First Class Paul Ray Smith Post Office Building"
- ^ "SFC Paul Ray Smith Simulation & Technology Training Center". Archived from the original on August 13, 2009. Retrieved July 18, 2009.
- ^ Spc. Chris Erickson (August 30, 2006). "Florida School Named for OIF Medal of Honor recipient". DefenseLink. U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved August 31, 2006.
- ^ "CALL TO DUTY". army.mil. The American Soldier: US Army. Archived from the original on September 12, 2006. Retrieved September 17, 2018.
- ^ Jones, Meg (November 5, 2008). "Navy's Vessel of Versatility". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
- ^ "SFC Paul R. Smith Fitness Center". Fort Benning Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation. Archived from the original on March 12, 2009. Retrieved March 14, 2009.
- ^ "M2 Browning .50-cal (1933)". Chris McNab and Michael Spilling (eds.): Weapons. Key Weapons & Weapon Systems from 1860 to the Present, pg. 424. Amber Books Ltd., London, United Kingdom (2019).
External links
- "Paul Ray Smith". Hall of Valor. Military Times. Retrieved January 24, 2010.
- "OpinionJournal Federation - WSJ.com". Retrieved July 19, 2009.
- "Sergeant First Class Paul R. Smith, Medal of Honor". United States Army. March 28, 2005. Retrieved April 4, 2005.
- Leary, Alex (January 25, 2004). "The Last Full Measure of Devotion". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved November 10, 2004.
- Leary, Alex Leary (February 2, 2005). "Iraq hero joins hallowed group". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved March 9, 2005.
- Myers, Steven Lee (September 23, 2003). "Medals for His Valor, Ashes for His Wife". The New York Times. Retrieved April 2, 2005. (requires subscription).
This page was last edited on 20 December 2023, at 03:04