Homer D. Smith

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Homer D. Smith jr.
Born(1922-02-16)February 16, 1922
Breckenridge, Texas, U.S.
DiedMarch 6, 2011(2011-03-06) (aged 89)
San Antonio, Texas
Buried
Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery
AllegianceUnited States of America
Service/branch United States Army
Years of service1943–1979
RankUS Army O8 shoulderboard rotated.svg Major general
Commands heldU.S. Army Logistics Center
Defense Attaché Office, South Vietnam
Battles/warsWorld War II
Korean War
Vietnam War
AwardsDistinguished Service Medal (2)
Legion of Merit
Air Medal

Homer D. Smith Jr. (February 16, 1922 – March 6, 2011) was a United States Army major general.

Early life and education[]

Smith attended Texas A&M University, graduating in 1943.[1]

Career[]

World War II[]

Smith enlisted in the U.S. Army upon graduation and was deployed to England, where he worked on the logistics planning for the Normandy landings.

Korean War[]

7th Infantry Division.

Vietnam War[]

On 15 October 1969, Smith, then a colonel, became commanding officer Danang Support Command, South Vietnam.[2]

In August 1974 Smith was appointed as head of the Defense Attaché Office, Saigon (DAO), making him the highest-ranking U.S. military official in South Vietnam. In this role Smith was a key figure in the last year of South Vietnam's existence, finally overseeing Operation Frequent Wind, the evacuation of American civilians and "at-risk" Vietnamese from Saigon in April 1975.[3] Smith left Saigon on 29 April 1975 and later resumed command of the DAO residual office at Fort Shafter, Hawaii.[4]

1975 to 1979[]

Smith's assignments during this period included the following:

Smith retired from active service in July 1979. Following his retirement he became head of the newly established Logistics Directorate at NATO Headquarters in Haren, Belgium.

Personal life[]

Smith died on March 6, 2011, in San Antonio, Texas, and was buried at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery.

References[]

  1. ^ Dethloff, Harry (2008). Texas Aggies Go to War: In Service of Their Country, Expanded Edition. Texas A&M University. p. 234. ISBN 9781603440776.
  2. ^ "Operational Report Lessons Learned for Headquarters US Army Support Command, Danang for period ending 31 October 1969" (PDF). Defense Technical Information Center. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  3. ^ Tobin, Thomas (1978). USAF Southeast Asia Monograph Series Volume IV Monograph 6: Last Flight from Saigon. US Government Printing Office. p. 70. ISBN 978-1-4102-0571-1.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  4. ^ "CINCPAC Command History 1975" (PDF). Commander in Chief Pacific. 7 October 1976. p. 39. Retrieved 13 May 2019.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

External sources[]

[1]

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