Elmelindo Rodrigues Smith ★ Vietnam War Gold Star Veteran from Hawaii
On February 16, 1967 Platoon Sergeant 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 Hawaii. ★ 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 Elmelindo Rodrigues Smith is a work in progress. We've assembled a list of elements we are in the process of researching and reviewing. This profile was last edited on 2015-09-07 11:31:34.
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Service Details
This Profile ID | 298752 |
Service ID | 10106850 |
Name | Elmelindo Rodrigues Smith |
From | Wahiawa, Honolulu County, Hawaii |
Birth Date | July 27, 1935 |
Casualty Date | February 16, 1967 |
War | Vietnam War |
Service Branch | Army |
Rank | Platoon Sergeant |
Specialty | Light Weapons Infantry |
Unit/Group | 4th Infantry Division, 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry, C Company |
Casualty Type | Died through hostile action .. small arms fire |
Location | Plei Trap Valley S of LZ (landing zone) 501, South Vietnam, Kontum province |
Burial | National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu |
Notable Awards |
★ Purple Heart |
Remembered |
Elmelindo Rodrigues Smith is buried or memorialized at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu. This is an American Battle Monuments Commission location. Elmelindo is honored on the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial in Washington DC. Name inscribed at VVM Wall, Panel 15e, Line 51. |
Additional Details
Smith, an American of Hispanic/Asian descent, was born in Wahiawa, a town located in the center of Oahu. He joined the United States Army in 1953 and was stationed in various countries overseas, among them was Okinawa.
During his stay in Okinawa, he met a Hawaiian born WAC by the name of Jane and soon they were married. They established their home in a military post in Tacoma, Washington and had two daughters.
On July 23, 1966, Smith was sent to the Republic of Vietnam and served as Platoon Sergeant of the 1st Platoon, Company C, 2d Battalion, 8th Infantry of the 4th Infantry Division.
On February 16, 1967, Sergeant Rodrigues Smith was leading his platoon in a reconnaissance patrol, when suddenly it came under attack. Despite the fact that he was wounded, he coordinated a counterattack by positioning his men and distributing ammunition. He was struck by a rocket, but continued to expose himself in order to direct his men's fire upon the approaching enemy.
He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. |
Commendations + Awards
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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
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Hawaii Gold Star Veterans Gallery
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Honoring the men and women of
Hawaii 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.
▶ Hawaii was home to over 827
American Gold Star veterans from 4 wars of the 20th Century. Some significant statistics:
Guardians of Honor Credits
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▶ National D-Day Memorial
▶ San Diego Coin & Bullion
▶ American Veterans Center 75th D-Day Congressional Reception
▶ USS Midway Museum 75th Pearl Harbor Wall of Honor
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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
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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. -
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