Robert T. Smith
| Robert T. Smith | |
|---|---|
R.T. Smith
|
|
| Nickname(s) | "R.T.", "Tadpole", "Bob" |
| Born |
February 23, 1918 York, Nebraska |
| Died | August 21, 1995 (aged 77) Van Nuys, California |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Air ForceUnited States Army Air Forces |
| Years of service | 1939–1945 |
| Rank | Lieutenant Colonel |
| Service number | 0-395294 |
| Unit |
American Volunteer Group 1st Air Commando Group |
| Commands held | Commanding Officer, 337 Fighter Squadron, 329th Fighter Group Bomber Section Commander, 1st Air Commando Group |
| Battles/wars | World War II (Burma campaign, China-Burma-India Theater) |
| Awards |
Chinese Order of the Cloud and Banner British Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal Distinguished Flying Cross Silver Star |
| Other work |
TWA pilot Entrepreneur Writer Executive |
Robert Tharp (R.T.) Smith (February 23, 1918 – August 21, 1995) was a World War II fighter pilot and ace, credited with 8.9 Japanese aircraft while fighting with the Flying Tigers.
He was born in York, Nebraska. His family moved to Red Cloud from Hooper, Nebraska in 1927 when his father, Earl W. Smith, was hired as Superintendent of Schools. He graduated Red Cloud High School in 1935. Smith attended the University of Nebraska before joining the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1939, midway through his senior year.
He received his primary flight training at the Allan Hancock College of Aeronautics at Santa Maria, California. During his training, he was given a couple of check rides with Robert L. Scott, who on May 17, 1942 flew as Smith's wingman on Scott's first combat mission in China. Smith completed basic training with Class 40-C at Randolph Field, Texas and advanced training at Brooks Field, Texas. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in June 1940, and returned to Randolph Field where his first assignment was as a basic flight instructor.
Smith resigned his commission in July 1941 in order to join Colonel Claire Lee Chennault's American Volunteer Group (AVG) as a "soldier of fortune" with the Nationalist Chinese Air Force. The Flying Tigers, as they were soon to be called, were in Burma training in Curtiss P-40s (actually Hawk Model 81-A-2s, or, as the British called them, Tomahawks) when Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7, 1941 (December 8 on their side of the International Dateline).
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