BIOGRAPHY for JAMES SMITH, WWII VETERAN
Proudly Served Our Country and Still Serving Our Community
James William “Neighbor” Smith Sr. was born in Lexington, Virginia on January17th, 1923.
He was drafted in January of 1943 at the age of 20 and attended basic training at Fort Jackson near Columbia, South Carolina.
Mr. Smith was trained as a tank commander as part of the 3rd U.S. Army, 42nd Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, 2nd“Dragoons” Cavalry Regiment, Company F.
Operations participated in include England, Normandy, Northern France, the Ardennes, Rhineland, Luxembourg, and Czechoslovakia. Special operations include accepting the surrender of the entire 11th German Panzer Division and liberating the world-renowned Lipizzaner Stallion horses along with 200 U.S. prisoners of war from Czechoslovakia a short time before Russian forces arrived. If the Russians would have reached the area first, the fate of the prisoners and the horses could have been much different.
Awards received included a medal for good conduct and the Europe-Africa-Middle Eastern service ribbon.
While in Luxembourg, away from his tank and waiting for fuel, James was given a 21st birthday party from a family that lived there; a family which he would revisit with his wife Virginia Thurston Smith some 40 years later. The visit also included stops in France and Germany as part of the WWII 40th anniversary re-enactment. Mr. Smith and his family have also visited the World War II monument in Washington, D.C. and the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, VA.
Mr. Smith was discharged October 28th, 1945 and was welcomed home by his family, some of which were at McClung’s Drug Store in Lexington, the location where the bus stopped.
After returning home from the war, Mr. Smith worked for the C&O Railroad in Clifton Forge and resided in Selma, VA. He was laid off from the railroad in 1953 when they switched from steam to diesel locomotives. He worked 26 years as a truck driver for Smith Transfer until retiring on January 31st, 1986.
Mr. Smith continues to reside in Selma with his family including daughters Charlotte Smith Brown, Beverly Smith Parchen, several grand children and great grand children. He has been the superintendent of the Sunday School at Selma Methodist Church since 1958, for nearly 60 years.
Created DHS 7-16-17