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View Full Version : SFC Paul R. Smith- Medal of Honor nominee from Iraq


William E. Thompson
12-11-2004, 01:49 AM
04-07-03
Photograph by William E. Thompson
Soldiers from Bravo Company of the 11th Engineer Battalion, attached to the 2-7 Infantry, Third Infantry Division of the U.S. Army, honor Sgt. 1st Class Paul R. Smith. Smith, an engineer, was nominated for a Medal of Honor, the highest honor bestowed upon a military serviceperson, for his heroic actions during the battle for Saddam International Airport. Smith is credited with single-handedly fending off more than 100 Iraqi Special Republican Guard soldiers who were attempting to overrun the 2-7 IN Tactical Operations Center. He is the only soldier who has been nominated from the Iraq war.

See photos from his memorial service at the airport: http://photojournalismstock.com

http://photojournalismstock.com/smith/image/03iraq0725.jpg
jedisponge
12-11-2004, 01:55 AM
in case anyone was wondering, he was the guy that manned the .50 cal against an onslaught of iraqi attackers... i think.
tuckerhat
12-11-2004, 02:51 AM
hey... thats your site? if so good stuff. woot

I like how you have alot of photos of soldiers, for lack of better words, not shooting stuff. Its easy for people who are not in the armed forces community to develop a narrow view of the military since the media only gives us images only of solders "soldiering". It is not often that we see images of soldiers interacting with the local populace, whether it is letting children play with a ridiculous hood ornament on a humvee or just providing a helping hand.
Sloppy Joe2
12-11-2004, 02:51 AM
hey i would really like to hear more on this tried searching on it but didnt turn up much help would be great guys RIP to Sgt. 1st Class Paul R. Smith god bless him and all like him
American Patriot
12-11-2004, 02:52 AM
RIP
tuckerhat
12-11-2004, 03:02 AM
hey i would really like to hear more on this tried searching on it but didnt turn up much help would be great guys RIP to Sgt. 1st Class Paul R. Smith god bless him and all like him

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1006552/posts
Midav
12-11-2004, 03:34 AM
Very heroic! RIP Sgt. Smith.
William E. Thompson
12-11-2004, 03:35 AM
This is the best website I know of that explains what happened that day.
There is a video at the end, those are also my photos. Hope this site helps to shed some light on what happened. I was there and didn't realize everything that was going on until I looked at this site.

http://www.sptimes.com/2004/webspecials04/medalofhonor
FallenAngel
12-11-2004, 04:23 AM
There's also a Marine up for the MOH. He jumped on a grenade saving three comrades back in April.

Then there was the Marine Sgt who just two weeks ago did something similar- wouldn't be surprised if he get's nominated for a MOH too.
William E. Thompson
12-11-2004, 05:03 AM
Was that this past April? or April 2003? As far as I know Smith is the only one who was nominated during the 21 days to Baghdad.

I have a feeling that there will be a few more MOHs before this is all over.

Now ask me about my soldier who was mauled by the tiger at the Baghdad zoo and my NCOIC who killed the tiger.
Marmot1
12-11-2004, 07:16 AM
Was that this past April? or April 2003? As far as I know Smith is the only one who was nominated during the 21 days to Baghdad.

I have a feeling that there will be a few more MOHs before this is all over.

Now ask me about my soldier who was mauled by the tiger at the Baghdad zoo and my NCOIC who killed the tiger.

AFAIR this soldier played with tiger while being off duty and he was after couple of beer as well as his buddy, they ccosed to much and tiger was able to atack from behind bars... or is this another story?
William E. Thompson
12-11-2004, 05:07 PM
That is the story. Here is a link that talks about the latest on the tiger incident.

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/news/10220017.htm?1c
MEGR
12-11-2004, 05:15 PM
Why this dude and the dude that jumped on a grenade don't have their MOHs by now is beyond me. I'm assuming that the process just takes a really long time.

However, another thing, other than the web, I've never seen any of these fellas on the news!
tenda
12-11-2004, 05:45 PM
r.i.p :(
NcDeuce
12-11-2004, 05:50 PM
Hey, great site.

It's been over a decade since the last MOH was awarded, unlikely we see it happen anytime soon...
Digital Marine
12-11-2004, 05:50 PM
i heard that there was this US marine he was in consideration of being nominated... he threw himself on a grenade at a checkpoint... and died later in hospital...

RIP

ill try to look him up.
anonymous individual
12-11-2004, 06:38 PM
RIP
Thucydides
12-11-2004, 07:38 PM
I wasn't actually there. I'm just going by the web sites that the other people have posted here. But I have to be honest. I don't see anything that actually rates the Medal of Honor here.

The man died fighting and died with his boots on, but there wasn't anything that goes "Above and Beyond the call of duty."

The soldiers in Mogadishu knew how bad the situation was and essentially knew they were commiting suicide when they chose to go down to the crash site and defend the downed helicopter pilot.

SGT Peralta willing committed suicide in order to save the lives of his squad.

Smith simply manned a .50 cal and defended from a fortified position. Supporting troops were nearby. A brave and noble soldier, I agree. But not the Medal of Honor.
Sloppy Joe2
12-11-2004, 07:50 PM
Thucydides in my mind that is above and beyond the call of duty he did more then he was asked he saved a lot of lives while losing his own i hope he is awarded it RIP AGAIN
Ngati Tumatauenga
12-12-2004, 01:48 AM
Thucydides wrote,

I wasn't actually there. I'm just going by the web sites that the other people have posted here. But I have to be honest. I don't see anything that actually rates the Medal of Honor here.

The man died fighting and died with his boots on, but there wasn't anything that goes "Above and Beyond the call of duty."

The soldiers in Mogadishu knew how bad the situation was and essentially knew they were commiting suicide when they chose to go down to the crash site and defend the downed helicopter pilot.

SGT Peralta willing committed suicide in order to save the lives of his squad.

Smith simply manned a .50 cal and defended from a fortified position. Supporting troops were nearby. A brave and noble soldier, I agree. But not the Medal of Honor.

Yeah?, what qualifies you to judge this mans actions?, been in a situation of an equal or greater magnitude yourself have you?