textsmithdalewilliam1960.html

Some of Dale's Awards/Medals

Vietnam Service

Vietnam Cross of Gallantry w/Palm

Vietnam
Campaign

Good Conduct
(6)

Army
Commendation

Meritorious
Service (3)

National
Defense

North High School Wall of Honor
Dale William Smith
Class of June, 1960
Master Sergeant, U.S. Army

Research done by Claradell Shedd, class of 1953. Prose written by Dale's widow, Barbara A. Smith.

Dale William Smith

Dale William Smith was born on July 21, 1942 in Des Moines, Iowa.Dale graduated from North High in the June, 1960 class. Following graduation, he joined the United States Army in December of 1963 at Fort Carson, Colorado, at the age of 21. After a career of twenty years, he retired as a Master Sergeant at Fort Irwin, California, in January, 1984. His next of kin during high school and his early years in the military are shown as Mr. and Mrs. E.R. Smith, 2010 6th Avenue, Des Moines, IA.
The web address for details on Dale's Arlington Cemetery burial, etc.: .
http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/dwsmith.htm Gravesite: Arlington National Cemetery: Section 67, Grave 4124

Mrs. Smith's husband, Master Sergeant Dale William Smith, died on 13 January 2002; he was buried with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery on 23 January 2002. He is remembered on the Arlington Cemetery site indicated above.

During his service to America, Sergeant Smith was qualified as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Specialist and he served in that role for eleven years and eleven months and did much VIP support work with the likes of former American Presidents and their families. He was also qualified as and Electronic Warfare/Signal Intelligence Chief and served in that role for nineteen years and four months. He traveled extensively during his Army career and had a tremendous thirst of learning about different peoples, their cultures, and their countries.

During his career, Sergeant Smith served in Vietnam during the war there. His brother, Harold Lee Smith, class of North High, 1964, was killed-in-action in Vietnam.

In 1978, he was serving at the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, when he met his soon-to-be wife, Barbara. They were married at West Point.

He was the recipient of the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm, the Vietnam Campaign Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Unit Commendation, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Badge, Overseas Service Bars, Senior Explosive Ordnance Disposal Badge, the Meritorious Service Medal (2nd Oak Leaf Cluster), Pistol Expert, Rifle (M16) Marksman, Rifle (M14) Marksman, Vietnam Defense Medal, Vietnam Counter Offensive Medal, Vietnam Counter Offensive Phase III, Overseas Service Ribbon (3), Army Service Ribbon, Master EOD Badge, Driver Badge with bar, Good Conduct Medal (sixth award).

While in Vietnam, he served with the U.S. Military Assistance Command Vietnam (MACV). This command was established on February 8, 1962, as a unified command subordinate to the commander-in-chief, Pacific. MACV had the mission of assisting the Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces to maintain internal security against subversion and insurgency and to resist external aggression. With headquarters in Saigon, MACV controlled all of the United States Armed Forces in Vietnam. MACV was involved in two basic activities. Its forces were to constantly seek to engage the enemy in combat on the ground and territorial waters of the Republic of Vietnam and to provide assistance to the constitutional government of Vietnam in building a free society capable of defending itself.

Following his military retirement in 1984, Sergeant Smith worked for Lockheed Martin in California as a Safety Engineer, later moving to Alabama where he continued to work with Lockheed.

Sergeant Smith died on 13 January 2002 and was buried with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery on 23 January 2002 (Section 67, Grave 4124).

He is survived by his wife, Barbara Smith of Troy, Alabama; one son, Douglas A. Smith, of California, a writer, one daughter, Staff Sergeant Maureen Anne Stewart United States Air Force; 3 granddaughters, Murphy Davin Smith of California; Veda Dale Stewart of Maryland; Jovie Shea Stewart of Maryland; and one grandson Finnegan Roy Smith of California. Sergeant Stewart is now based at Fort Mead, Maryland where her (MOS) is "Instructor" for "Videography/Documentation/Combat Camera."

In recognition of his EOD work, Sergeant Smith has been honored by having a Bomb Detection dog named after him by the Los Angeles Police Department Bomb Squad. "Dale," a Yellow Labrador formally joined the Squad in January of 2003. (photo below)

Rifle Expert	M14, M16 Marksman	Pistol Expert (below) Oak Leaf Clusters (2)	Army Meritorious Unit	Driver w/Bar
					(above) Senior Explosive Ordnance Disposal Basic Ordnance Disposal
			Overseas Service Bar


	MST SGT/MACV	Los Angeles Bomb Detection dog named after "Dale"

References

The comprehensive list of names from North High's 1893-2018 graduation classes are from Claradell Shedd's North Des Moines High School website. The names of North High School graduates can be found online at: http://www.ndmhs.com/. Dale William Smith's 1960 class page is: http://www.ndmhs.com/pages/yearclass1960(2010.50).html

Died: 01/13/02

Music: "Battle Hymn of the Republic"