Robert Burr Smith
| Robert Burr Smith | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Smitty |
| Born |
2 May 1924 Tacoma, Washington, United States |
| Died | 7 January 1983 (aged 58) San Diego, California, United States |
| Resting place | Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery |
| Allegiance |
 United States
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Army
|
| Years of service | 1942–1945 1955-1964 (Reserves) |
| Rank |
 Lieutenant Colonel
|
| Unit |
 101st Airborne Division91st Infantry Division 12th Special Forces Group 1st SFOD-D |
| Battles/wars |
Vietnam War Laotian Civil War Operation Eagle Claw |
| Other work | CIA officer |
Lieutenant Colonel Robert Burr Smith (2 May 1924 - 7 January 1983) was an American Army Officer. He served in Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, in the 101st Airborne Division of the United States Army during World War II. Smith was one of the 140 Toccoa men of Easy Company. A memorial to Smith by his daughter, C. Susan Finn, appeared in the 2009 book We Who Are Alive and Remain: Untold Stories from Band of Brothers.
Smith was born in 2 May 1924 in Tacoma, Washington. His family moved to Los Angeles when he was seven. Smith was sent by his grandmother to Brown Military Academy in Pacific Beach, California because he acted as German soldiers and yelled 'Heil Hilter!' for fun with his friend.
Smith enlisted in the army at Rochester, New York on 18 August 1942 and volunteered for paratroopers. He was sent to for training and befriended Warren 'Skip' Muck and Donald Malarkey. William Guarnere in his biography said that Smith 'was a nice boy, so you blamed him for the devilment, because nobody believe it'.
Smith made his first combat jump on D-Day into Normandy. He was originally with Plane 66, but was transferred out of the plane by Richard Winters right before it took off as it was overcrowded. Plane 66 was later shot down by German artillery, killing everyone on board. Smith landed in an apple orchard in Normandy. He met with Robert Rader, Frank Perconte and others to engage in minor firefight with some Germans. They joined with Easy Company at dawn. Smith was later wounded in Carentan.
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Wikipedia