Gary D Smith ★ Vietnam War Gold Star Veteran from Tennessee
On November 17, 1965 Private First Class Smith was declared a casualty of the Vietnam War. ★ He served with honor in the United States Army. ★ He is remembered by the people of Tennessee. ★ May his positive example inspire us. Working together towards peace, mutual respect, and equality for all.
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Our displayed data concerning the life and military history of Gary D Smith is a work in progress. We've assembled a list of elements we are in the process of researching and reviewing. This profile has not been edited recently and is overdue for our attention.
Missing : Core Data
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Missing : Supplemental Data
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Service Details
| This Profile ID | 298777 |
| Service ID | 53378897 |
| Name | Gary D Smith |
| From | Knoxville, Knox County, Tennessee |
| Birth Date | March 14, 1942 |
| Casualty Date | November 17, 1965 |
| War | Vietnam War |
| Service Branch | Army |
| Rank | Private First Class |
| Specialty | Light Weapons Infantry |
| Unit/Group | 1st Cavalry Division, 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry, D Company |
| Casualty Type | Died through hostile action .. multiple fragmentation wounds |
| Location | LZ (landing zone) Albany Ia Drang Valley, South Vietnam, Pleiku province |
| Notable Awards |
★ Purple Heart |
| Remembered |  Gary is honored on the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial in Washington DC. Name inscribed at VVM Wall, Panel 03e, Line 94. |
Additional Details
The Battle of Ia Drang comprised two main engagements that took place on November 14–17, 1965 in the Ia Drang Valley. It was the first major confrontation between the United States and the North Vietnamese during the Vietnam War. It became a blueprint for tactics by both sides. The Americans used air mobility, artillery fire and close air support to accomplish battlefield objectives. The NVA learned that they could neutralize that firepower by quickly engaging American forces at very close range.The Battle of Ia Drang was brought to popular attention in 2002 through the Mel Gibson movie "We Were Soldiers". |
Commendations + Awards
Please note this might not be a complete or completely accurate accounting. For some awards we use probability factors based on known service details. Thanks for your understanding.
★ Combat Infantryman Badge
★ Purple Heart
★ Marksmanship Badge
★ National Defense Service Medal
★ Vietnam Campaign Medal
★ Vietnam Service Medal
★ Army Presidential Unit Citation
★ Vietnam Gallantry Cross
Notable Reference Sources
These are typically links to pages on external sites that have provided specific nodes of information. In most cases the information has some assurance of being crowd-sourced and vetted by a community of users.Tennessee Gold Star Veterans Gallery
Honoring the men and women of Tennessee who gave their all for their country. May their example of courage and sacrifice be our guide. To be strong and responsible in our lives as citizens of the world. Through honest daily actions, we honor them.
▶ Tennessee was home to over 11,723 American Gold Star veterans from 4 wars of the 20th Century. Some significant statistics:
• 1,995 World War I
• 7,527 World War II
• 906 Korean War
• 1,295 Vietnam War
• 178 Prisoners of war
• 1,658 Missing in action
• 42 Pearl Harbor casualties
• 89 D-Day Normandy casualties
• 7 Medal of Honor recipients
• 7,527 World War II
• 906 Korean War
• 1,295 Vietnam War
• 178 Prisoners of war
• 1,658 Missing in action
• 42 Pearl Harbor casualties
• 89 D-Day Normandy casualties
• 7 Medal of Honor recipients
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Honor States Admin
Roy "Joker"
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▼ Primary Sources - These are repositories for artifacts, documents, diaries, manuscripts, and other information that serve as original and authoritative sources of information.
National Archives (NARA)
Library of Congress (LOC)
Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA)
Findagrave.com
Ancestry.com
Honoring our fallen. Together. Uniting us in meaningful common cause. When we work together to honor our Gold Star veterans, we heal our nation together. It's a team effort. Everyone's invited to join as a Citizen Historian and Guardian of Honor. - learn more
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Balboa Park Veterans Museum
Located at Balboa Park in San Diego, the Veterans Museum honors the service of all who served their country in the U.S. Armed Forces. Documenting their experiences and preserving their legacy for future generations through their individual stories.
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Irvin - Your website is outstanding and a great tribute to the Patriots who gave all. As a Vietnam veteran, I thank you very much.
Emanual - I find myself coming back to your site often. It's important. Never forget the sacrifices made to preserve our freedom.
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