Star-News (Wilmington, NC) - May 22, 2005
Deceased Name: Soldier laid to rest
As the saying goes, a beloved child has many names. His given name was John; family and friends in Wilmington called him "Mac"; at military bases, he was known as Sgt. Smith; but his fellow paratroopers called him "Smitty."
As of Saturday, Sgt. John Smith, native of Wilmington, will forever be known as one of the decorated dead, a soldier who died doing what he loved - fighting for his country. He lived to be 22.
"Smitty was a great soldier," said Sgt. 1st Class Richard Mitchell of the 82nd Airborne Division. "He died doing what he wanted to do."
Sgt. Smith, who died when a roadside bomb exploded next to his convoy May 12 in Al Iskandariyah, Iraq, was buried Saturday at the Wilmington National Cemetery after a ceremony at St. Paul's Lutheran Church.
Among more than 6,000 servicemembers, Sgt. Smith will rest next to his maternal grandfather, a World War II veteran who served in the Marine Corps.
At the National Cemetery on Saturday, Brig. Gen. Mike Ferriter presented Sgt. Smith's mother, Judy Smith, with four medals - the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star, the Iraqi Campaign Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal.
According to tradition, he also presented her with the American flag that was draped over her son's casket. Mrs. Smith dabbed away tears as she pressed the folded triangle of red, white and blue to her chest.
By request of the Smith family, the cemetery service was closed to the public, but some people stood outside the red brick wall surrounding the cemetery, under rain-filled clouds, watching in silence.
During the 21-gun salute, seven members of the New Hanover High School lacrosse team stood dressed in their orange jerseys, lacrosse sticks in hand.
As the salute rang out, the lacrosse players raised their sticks in honor of Sgt. Smith.
"We're here out of respect," said Dixie Dobyns, a parent and member of the school's lacrosse booster club. "We didn't personally know him."
Sgt. Smith, who spent all four years at New Hanover High School as a JROTC cadet, also played football, baseball and lacrosse. He graduated in 2000.
Sgt. Smith was in Iraq training the Iraqi national guard during his tour with the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment out of Fort Irwin, Calif.
Prior to transferring to the 11th Armored, Sgt. Smith was a paratrooper with the 82 Airborne Division stationed at Fort Bragg. He also went to Iraq with that unit.
Most of the paratroopers who served with Sgt. Smith in Iraq came to his funeral, said Sgt. 1st Class Mitchell, who was Sgt. Smith's platoon sergeant in Iraq.
"We have guys here from Georgia, Florida, Texas and North Dakota," he said. "Every single person who could physically make it came for his funeral. That tells you two things: number one, how tight we are as a family, and number two, how well-respected Smitty was among his peers.
"Every paratrooper strives for two things," Sgt. 1st Class Mitchell said. "The respect of his peers, and paratroopers strive to never embarrass our regiment, and Smitty, of course, was well-respected, and the regiment will always be proud of him."
Staff Sgt. Sean Lee, of the 82nd Airborne Division and Sgt. Smith's team leader in Iraq, said he and five other men came down to Wilmington in October to see Sgt. Smith when he was home on leave.
Staff Sgt. Lee didn't know that the next time he would come to see Sgt. Smith would be to carry his casket.
"Courage" was one of the first words out of Staff Sgt. Lee's mouth as he described Sgt. Smith, recalling one time when they were under enemy fire.
"There were rounds firing all over the place; it was chaotic," Sgt. Lee said. "I remember looking up to see where Smitty was, and he just had this grin on his face, so I started grinning, too. You could draw your courage off him."
While Sgt. 1st Class Mitchell described Sgt. Smith as family, as his brother, he had to take a brief pause, fighting back tears.
"Smitty was the guy next door," he said. "The guy you grew up with and trusted - the guy you could count on."
Deceased Name: Soldier laid to rest
As the saying goes, a beloved child has many names. His given name was John; family and friends in Wilmington called him "Mac"; at military bases, he was known as Sgt. Smith; but his fellow paratroopers called him "Smitty."
As of Saturday, Sgt. John Smith, native of Wilmington, will forever be known as one of the decorated dead, a soldier who died doing what he loved - fighting for his country. He lived to be 22.
"Smitty was a great soldier," said Sgt. 1st Class Richard Mitchell of the 82nd Airborne Division. "He died doing what he wanted to do."
Sgt. Smith, who died when a roadside bomb exploded next to his convoy May 12 in Al Iskandariyah, Iraq, was buried Saturday at the Wilmington National Cemetery after a ceremony at St. Paul's Lutheran Church.
Among more than 6,000 servicemembers, Sgt. Smith will rest next to his maternal grandfather, a World War II veteran who served in the Marine Corps.
At the National Cemetery on Saturday, Brig. Gen. Mike Ferriter presented Sgt. Smith's mother, Judy Smith, with four medals - the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star, the Iraqi Campaign Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal.
According to tradition, he also presented her with the American flag that was draped over her son's casket. Mrs. Smith dabbed away tears as she pressed the folded triangle of red, white and blue to her chest.
By request of the Smith family, the cemetery service was closed to the public, but some people stood outside the red brick wall surrounding the cemetery, under rain-filled clouds, watching in silence.
During the 21-gun salute, seven members of the New Hanover High School lacrosse team stood dressed in their orange jerseys, lacrosse sticks in hand.
As the salute rang out, the lacrosse players raised their sticks in honor of Sgt. Smith.
"We're here out of respect," said Dixie Dobyns, a parent and member of the school's lacrosse booster club. "We didn't personally know him."
Sgt. Smith, who spent all four years at New Hanover High School as a JROTC cadet, also played football, baseball and lacrosse. He graduated in 2000.
Sgt. Smith was in Iraq training the Iraqi national guard during his tour with the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment out of Fort Irwin, Calif.
Prior to transferring to the 11th Armored, Sgt. Smith was a paratrooper with the 82 Airborne Division stationed at Fort Bragg. He also went to Iraq with that unit.
Most of the paratroopers who served with Sgt. Smith in Iraq came to his funeral, said Sgt. 1st Class Mitchell, who was Sgt. Smith's platoon sergeant in Iraq.
"We have guys here from Georgia, Florida, Texas and North Dakota," he said. "Every single person who could physically make it came for his funeral. That tells you two things: number one, how tight we are as a family, and number two, how well-respected Smitty was among his peers.
"Every paratrooper strives for two things," Sgt. 1st Class Mitchell said. "The respect of his peers, and paratroopers strive to never embarrass our regiment, and Smitty, of course, was well-respected, and the regiment will always be proud of him."
Staff Sgt. Sean Lee, of the 82nd Airborne Division and Sgt. Smith's team leader in Iraq, said he and five other men came down to Wilmington in October to see Sgt. Smith when he was home on leave.
Staff Sgt. Lee didn't know that the next time he would come to see Sgt. Smith would be to carry his casket.
"Courage" was one of the first words out of Staff Sgt. Lee's mouth as he described Sgt. Smith, recalling one time when they were under enemy fire.
"There were rounds firing all over the place; it was chaotic," Sgt. Lee said. "I remember looking up to see where Smitty was, and he just had this grin on his face, so I started grinning, too. You could draw your courage off him."
While Sgt. 1st Class Mitchell described Sgt. Smith as family, as his brother, he had to take a brief pause, fighting back tears.
"Smitty was the guy next door," he said. "The guy you grew up with and trusted - the guy you could count on."
Star-News (Wilmington, NC) - May 22, 2005
Deceased Name: Soldier laid to rest
As the saying goes, a beloved child has many names. His given name was John; family and friends in Wilmington called him "Mac"; at military bases, he was known as Sgt. Smith; but his fellow paratroopers called him "Smitty."
As of Saturday, Sgt. John Smith, native of Wilmington, will forever be known as one of the decorated dead, a soldier who died doing what he loved - fighting for his country. He lived to be 22.
"Smitty was a great soldier," said Sgt. 1st Class Richard Mitchell of the 82nd Airborne Division. "He died doing what he wanted to do."
Sgt. Smith, who died when a roadside bomb exploded next to his convoy May 12 in Al Iskandariyah, Iraq, was buried Saturday at the Wilmington National Cemetery after a ceremony at St. Paul's Lutheran Church.
Among more than 6,000 servicemembers, Sgt. Smith will rest next to his maternal grandfather, a World War II veteran who served in the Marine Corps.
At the National Cemetery on Saturday, Brig. Gen. Mike Ferriter presented Sgt. Smith's mother, Judy Smith, with four medals - the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star, the Iraqi Campaign Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal.
According to tradition, he also presented her with the American flag that was draped over her son's casket. Mrs. Smith dabbed away tears as she pressed the folded triangle of red, white and blue to her chest.
By request of the Smith family, the cemetery service was closed to the public, but some people stood outside the red brick wall surrounding the cemetery, under rain-filled clouds, watching in silence.
During the 21-gun salute, seven members of the New Hanover High School lacrosse team stood dressed in their orange jerseys, lacrosse sticks in hand.
As the salute rang out, the lacrosse players raised their sticks in honor of Sgt. Smith.
"We're here out of respect," said Dixie Dobyns, a parent and member of the school's lacrosse booster club. "We didn't personally know him."
Sgt. Smith, who spent all four years at New Hanover High School as a JROTC cadet, also played football, baseball and lacrosse. He graduated in 2000.
Sgt. Smith was in Iraq training the Iraqi national guard during his tour with the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment out of Fort Irwin, Calif.
Prior to transferring to the 11th Armored, Sgt. Smith was a paratrooper with the 82 Airborne Division stationed at Fort Bragg. He also went to Iraq with that unit.
Most of the paratroopers who served with Sgt. Smith in Iraq came to his funeral, said Sgt. 1st Class Mitchell, who was Sgt. Smith's platoon sergeant in Iraq.
"We have guys here from Georgia, Florida, Texas and North Dakota," he said. "Every single person who could physically make it came for his funeral. That tells you two things: number one, how tight we are as a family, and number two, how well-respected Smitty was among his peers.
"Every paratrooper strives for two things," Sgt. 1st Class Mitchell said. "The respect of his peers, and paratroopers strive to never embarrass our regiment, and Smitty, of course, was well-respected, and the regiment will always be proud of him."
Staff Sgt. Sean Lee, of the 82nd Airborne Division and Sgt. Smith's team leader in Iraq, said he and five other men came down to Wilmington in October to see Sgt. Smith when he was home on leave.
Staff Sgt. Lee didn't know that the next time he would come to see Sgt. Smith would be to carry his casket.
"Courage" was one of the first words out of Staff Sgt. Lee's mouth as he described Sgt. Smith, recalling one time when they were under enemy fire.
"There were rounds firing all over the place; it was chaotic," Sgt. Lee said. "I remember looking up to see where Smitty was, and he just had this grin on his face, so I started grinning, too. You could draw your courage off him."
While Sgt. 1st Class Mitchell described Sgt. Smith as family, as his brother, he had to take a brief pause, fighting back tears.
"Smitty was the guy next door," he said. "The guy you grew up with and trusted - the guy you could count on."
Deceased Name: Soldier laid to rest
As the saying goes, a beloved child has many names. His given name was John; family and friends in Wilmington called him "Mac"; at military bases, he was known as Sgt. Smith; but his fellow paratroopers called him "Smitty."
As of Saturday, Sgt. John Smith, native of Wilmington, will forever be known as one of the decorated dead, a soldier who died doing what he loved - fighting for his country. He lived to be 22.
"Smitty was a great soldier," said Sgt. 1st Class Richard Mitchell of the 82nd Airborne Division. "He died doing what he wanted to do."
Sgt. Smith, who died when a roadside bomb exploded next to his convoy May 12 in Al Iskandariyah, Iraq, was buried Saturday at the Wilmington National Cemetery after a ceremony at St. Paul's Lutheran Church.
Among more than 6,000 servicemembers, Sgt. Smith will rest next to his maternal grandfather, a World War II veteran who served in the Marine Corps.
At the National Cemetery on Saturday, Brig. Gen. Mike Ferriter presented Sgt. Smith's mother, Judy Smith, with four medals - the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star, the Iraqi Campaign Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal.
According to tradition, he also presented her with the American flag that was draped over her son's casket. Mrs. Smith dabbed away tears as she pressed the folded triangle of red, white and blue to her chest.
By request of the Smith family, the cemetery service was closed to the public, but some people stood outside the red brick wall surrounding the cemetery, under rain-filled clouds, watching in silence.
During the 21-gun salute, seven members of the New Hanover High School lacrosse team stood dressed in their orange jerseys, lacrosse sticks in hand.
As the salute rang out, the lacrosse players raised their sticks in honor of Sgt. Smith.
"We're here out of respect," said Dixie Dobyns, a parent and member of the school's lacrosse booster club. "We didn't personally know him."
Sgt. Smith, who spent all four years at New Hanover High School as a JROTC cadet, also played football, baseball and lacrosse. He graduated in 2000.
Sgt. Smith was in Iraq training the Iraqi national guard during his tour with the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment out of Fort Irwin, Calif.
Prior to transferring to the 11th Armored, Sgt. Smith was a paratrooper with the 82 Airborne Division stationed at Fort Bragg. He also went to Iraq with that unit.
Most of the paratroopers who served with Sgt. Smith in Iraq came to his funeral, said Sgt. 1st Class Mitchell, who was Sgt. Smith's platoon sergeant in Iraq.
"We have guys here from Georgia, Florida, Texas and North Dakota," he said. "Every single person who could physically make it came for his funeral. That tells you two things: number one, how tight we are as a family, and number two, how well-respected Smitty was among his peers.
"Every paratrooper strives for two things," Sgt. 1st Class Mitchell said. "The respect of his peers, and paratroopers strive to never embarrass our regiment, and Smitty, of course, was well-respected, and the regiment will always be proud of him."
Staff Sgt. Sean Lee, of the 82nd Airborne Division and Sgt. Smith's team leader in Iraq, said he and five other men came down to Wilmington in October to see Sgt. Smith when he was home on leave.
Staff Sgt. Lee didn't know that the next time he would come to see Sgt. Smith would be to carry his casket.
"Courage" was one of the first words out of Staff Sgt. Lee's mouth as he described Sgt. Smith, recalling one time when they were under enemy fire.
"There were rounds firing all over the place; it was chaotic," Sgt. Lee said. "I remember looking up to see where Smitty was, and he just had this grin on his face, so I started grinning, too. You could draw your courage off him."
While Sgt. 1st Class Mitchell described Sgt. Smith as family, as his brother, he had to take a brief pause, fighting back tears.
"Smitty was the guy next door," he said. "The guy you grew up with and trusted - the guy you could count on."
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