Homer D. Smith Jr. (February 16, 1922 – March 6, 2011) was a United States Army major general.
Homer D. Smith Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 16, 1922 Breckenridge, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | March 6, 2011 (aged 89) San Antonio, Texas, U.S. |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1943–1979 |
| Rank |  Major general |
| Commands | U.S. Army Logistics Center Defense Attaché Office, South Vietnam |
| Battles / wars | World War II Korean War Vietnam War |
| Awards | Distinguished Service Medal (2) Legion of Merit Air Medal |
Early life and education
editSmith attended Texas A&M University, graduating in 1943.[1]
Career
editWorld War II
editSmith 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
edit7th Infantry Division.
Vietnam War
editOn 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
editSmith's assignments during this period included the following:
- Deputy chief of staff for logistics of the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command, Fort Monroe, Hampton, Virginia (1975–77)
- Commander, U.S. Army Logistics Center, Fort Lee, Virginia (June 1977-July 1979)
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
editSmith died on March 6, 2011, in San Antonio, Texas, and was buried at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery.
References
edit- ^ Dethloff, Harry (2008). Texas Aggies Go to War: In Service of Their Country, Expanded Edition. Texas A&M University. p. 234. ISBN 9781603440776.
- ^ "Operational Report Lessons Learned for Headquarters US Army Support Command, Danang for period ending 31 October 1969" (PDF). Defense Technical Information Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 24, 2016. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
- ^ 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.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ "CINCPAC Command History 1975" (PDF). Commander in Chief Pacific. 7 October 1976. p. 39. Retrieved 13 May 2019. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.