Jacob E. Smart
| Jacob E. Smart | |
|---|---|
General Jacob E. Smart
|
|
| Born |
May 31, 1909 Ridgeland, South Carolina |
| Died | November 12, 2006 (aged 97) Ridgeland, South Carolina |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Air Force |
| Years of service | 1931-1966 |
| Rank | General |
| Commands held | Pacific Air Forces U.S. Forces in Japan Twelfth Air Force |
| Battles/wars |
World War II Korean War Vietnam War |
| Awards |
Distinguished Service Cross Distinguished Flying Cross Legion of Merit Air Medal (4) |
General Jacob Edward Smart (May 31, 1909 – November 12, 2006) was a U.S. Army Air Force leader in World War II and Cold War era Air Force general.
Smart was born in Ridgeland, South Carolina, the son of a railroad conductor, and was educated in the public schools of South Carolina and Georgia, and at Marion Military Institute in Marion, Alabama.
Smart graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1931 and entered flight training with the Army Air Corps. He became a flying instructor. When the United States entered World War II, Smart (Colonel at that time) was chief of staff for flight training at Air Force headquarters in Washington, D.C..
Smart joined the Air Corps Advisory Council in July 1942, serving on the staff of General “Hap” Arnold, Chief of Staff of the Army Air Force. In this position, he was involved with the planning of the invasion of Europe and participated in the meeting between U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in Casablanca, Morocco in 1943. He received the Legion of Merit for his services.
Smart was assigned to 9th Bomber Command in the Middle East in 1943. He was the architect of Operation Tidal Wave, in which 178 B-24 Liberator heavy bombers from five bombardment groups of the 9th Army Air Force flew a 2,400-mile round trip from bases near Benghazi in Libya to perform a low-level bombing raid on the oil refineries at Ploieşti, Romania, on 1 August 1943. Nearly 40% of the oil plant was destroyed, but 55 of the American planes were lost and another 50 severely damaged. He received the Distinguished Service Medal; five other airmen received the Medal of Honor, the most for any single military action. Despite its success, the plant was repaired and back to its original operating capacity within a month.
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