Local WW II Vet Gets 2nd Bronze Star - 54 Years Late
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
To receive one Bronze Star for service to the nation in combat is an honor.
To receive two signifies meritorious service, that, while not uncommon, is nonetheless rare. For Albert G. Smith, 73, of Warsaw, that distinguished recognition came last month, albeit 54 years late.
"I wrote to President Clinton in September, asking for his help in me being awarded a Silver Star," Smith said. "After the Army reviewed the records, they awarded me a Bronze Star with an oak leaf cluster."
The Bronze Star was established by order of the president on Feb. 4, 1944. It is awarded to armed forces personnel who, on or after Dec. 7, 1941, distinguished themselves "for heroic and meritorious achievement of service, not involving aerial flight, in connection with operations against an opposing armed force."
The oak leaf cluster signifies more than one awarding of the decoration.
"I received my first Bronze Star for the time first sergeant of my company and I captured a German tank," Smith said. "It turned out that it was abandoned and out of gas, but we didn't know that at the time we first saw it."
The awarding of the second Bronze Star was in recognition of Smith's capture of a German artillery officer.
"I was on patrol, when my left leg began to fail me due to an injury I received while still in training. The patrol leader found an underground dugout, had me lock and load my carbine and get in (the dugout)," Smith said. "They were coming back to get me the next morning.
"Very early the next morning, I was awakened by a strange voice. It was a German voice, and he was saying 'American, American, American,'" he added.
The German was a field artillery officer who wanted to surrender. After disarming his prisoner, Smith marched him the two to three miles back to the American lines.
"I'm quite certain that German officer gave our battalion some very valuable information as to the location and purpose of his field artillery unit," Smith said. [[In-content Ad]]
To receive one Bronze Star for service to the nation in combat is an honor.
To receive two signifies meritorious service, that, while not uncommon, is nonetheless rare. For Albert G. Smith, 73, of Warsaw, that distinguished recognition came last month, albeit 54 years late.
"I wrote to President Clinton in September, asking for his help in me being awarded a Silver Star," Smith said. "After the Army reviewed the records, they awarded me a Bronze Star with an oak leaf cluster."
The Bronze Star was established by order of the president on Feb. 4, 1944. It is awarded to armed forces personnel who, on or after Dec. 7, 1941, distinguished themselves "for heroic and meritorious achievement of service, not involving aerial flight, in connection with operations against an opposing armed force."
The oak leaf cluster signifies more than one awarding of the decoration.
"I received my first Bronze Star for the time first sergeant of my company and I captured a German tank," Smith said. "It turned out that it was abandoned and out of gas, but we didn't know that at the time we first saw it."
The awarding of the second Bronze Star was in recognition of Smith's capture of a German artillery officer.
"I was on patrol, when my left leg began to fail me due to an injury I received while still in training. The patrol leader found an underground dugout, had me lock and load my carbine and get in (the dugout)," Smith said. "They were coming back to get me the next morning.
"Very early the next morning, I was awakened by a strange voice. It was a German voice, and he was saying 'American, American, American,'" he added.
The German was a field artillery officer who wanted to surrender. After disarming his prisoner, Smith marched him the two to three miles back to the American lines.
"I'm quite certain that German officer gave our battalion some very valuable information as to the location and purpose of his field artillery unit," Smith said. [[In-content Ad]]