Maynard Harrison Smith

Maynard Harrison "Snuffy" Smith (May 19, 1911 – May 11, 1984) was a United States Army Air Forces Staff Sergeant and aerial gunner aboard a B-17 Flying Fortress bomber in World War II, received the Medal of Honor for his conduct during a bombing mission over France on May 1, 1943.[1][2]

Maynard Harrison Smith
Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson awarding the Medal of Honor to S/Sgt. Smith
Nickname(s)Snuffy Smith
Born(1911-05-19)May 19, 1911
Caro, Michigan
DiedMay 11, 1984(1984-05-11) (aged 72)
Saint Petersburg, Pinellas County, Florida, USA
Place of burial
Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington County, Virginia, USA
Allegiance United States of America
Service/branch United States Army Air Forces
Years of service1942–1945
Rank Staff Sergeant
Unit423d Bombardment Squadron
Battles/warsWorld War II
Awards Medal of Honor
Air Medal (2)

Enlistment

Smith enlisted in the US Army Air Forces in 1942. After completing basic training, he volunteered for aerial gunnery school. At the time, all aerial gunners were non-commissioned officers and the move to the school was a quick way for the private to gain rank and pay.[2][3]

After completing aerial gunnery school, he was shipped overseas to Thurleigh, Bedfordshire, in south-central England, where he joined the 423rd Bombardment Squadron, 306th Bomb Group. Staff Sergeant Smith quickly gained a reputation as a stubborn and obnoxious airman who did not get along well with the other airmen stationed there, hence his nickname "Snuffy Smith", possibly from the popular comic strip of the era, Barney Google and Snuffy Smith. Consequently, it was six weeks before he was assigned his first combat mission.[2][3]

Medal of Honor action

On his first mission, on May 1, 1943, Staff Sergeant Smith, who was assigned to the ball gun turret, helped save the lives of six of his wounded comrades, put out a blazing fire, and drove off wave after wave of German fighters.

The target of the mission was the U-boat pens at Saint-Nazaire in Loire-Atlantique, France, on the Bay of Biscay. Saint Nazaire was heavily defended by antiaircraft guns and was nicknamed "flak city" by the airmen.[4]

Staff Sergeant Maynard Smith of the 306th Bombardment Group, is presented with the Medal of Honor by Secretary of War Henry L Stimson in front of a B-17 Flying Fortress at Thurleigh Airfield, USAAF Station 111, England.

Several of the bombers failed to rendezvous as intended, and others had mechanical problems and had to turn back. The middle portion of the bombing mission went well, with no German fighters engaging the mission until after they had released their bomb loads on target. As the fighters came up, the bombing group managed to elude them by flying into a large cloud bank.[4]

Due to a navigational error, after being in the cloud bank, the navigator in the lead plane believed he was approaching the southern coast of Britain. In fact, the aircraft were approaching the heavily fortified French city of Brest and the southern coast of the Breton Peninsula. The pilot began to descend to 2,000 feet (610 m) and was almost immediately set upon by several German fighters and intense anti-aircraft fire.[5]

Staff Sergeant Smith's bomber was hit, rupturing the fuel tanks and igniting a massive fire in the center of the fuselage. The damage was severe, knocking out communications and compromising the fuselage's integrity. Smith's ball turret lost power, and he scrambled out to assist the other crew members. Three crew members bailed out, while Smith tended to two others who were seriously wounded.

Smith manning a machine gun

In between helping his wounded comrades, Smith also manned the .50 caliber machine guns and fought the raging fire. The heat from the fire was so intense that it began to melt the metal in the fuselage, threatening to break the plane in half.

For nearly 90 minutes, Smith alternated between shooting at attacking fighters, tending to the wounded and fighting the fire. To starve the fire of fuel, he threw burning debris and exploding ammunition through the large holes that the fire had melted in the fuselage. After the fire extinguishers were exhausted, Smith finally managed to put the fire out, in part by urinating on it.

Smith's bomber reached England and landed at the first available airfield, where it broke in half as it touched down. It had been hit with more than 3,500 bullets and pieces of shrapnel.

The three crew members who bailed out were never seen again and were presumed lost at sea, but Smith's efforts undoubtedly saved the lives of six others aboard his aircraft.[3]

Journalist Andy Rooney, at the time a reporter for Stars and Stripes, was at the base where Smith's plane landed and wrote a front-page story about it. While reflecting on Smith's award years later on 60 Minutes, Rooney said, "I was proud of my part in that."[6]

Smith was assigned to KP duty the week that he was awarded the Medal of Honor as punishment for arriving late to a briefing. Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson placed the medal around Smith's neck during a formation.[7]

Awards

Here is a ribbon bar of SSgt Maynard Harrison Smith:
1st Row Medal of Honor Air Medal with 1 oak leaf cluster Presidential Unit Citation with 1 oak leaf cluster
2nd Row American Campaign Medal European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 4 bronze service stars World War II Victory Medal

Medal of Honor citation

Citation text:[1]

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action above and beyond the call of duty. The aircraft of which Sgt. Smith was a gunner was subjected to intense enemy antiaircraft fire and determined fighter aircraft attacks while returning from a mission over enemy-occupied continental Europe on 1 May 1943. The aircraft was hit several times by antiaircraft fire and cannon shells of the fighter aircraft, 2 of the crew were seriously wounded, the aircraft's oxygen system shot out, and several vital control cables severed when intense fires were ignited simultaneously in the radio compartment and waist sections. The situation became so acute that 3 of the crew bailed out into the comparative safety of the sea. Sgt. Smith, then on his first combat mission, elected to fight the fire by himself, administered first aid to the wounded tail gunner, manned the waist guns, and fought the intense flames alternately. The escaping oxygen fanned the fire to such intense heat that the ammunition in the radio compartment began to explode, the radio, gun mount, and camera were melted, and the compartment completely gutted. Sgt. Smith threw the exploding ammunition overboard, fought the fire until all the firefighting aids were exhausted, manned the workable guns until the enemy fighters were driven away, further administered first aid to his wounded comrade, and then by wrapping himself in protecting cloth, completely extinguished the fire by hand. This soldier's gallantry in action, undaunted bravery, and loyalty to his aircraft and fellow crewmembers, without regard for his own personal safety, is an inspiration to the U.S. Armed Forces.

See also

References
 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Army Center of Military History.
  1. "Medal of Honor recipients". Medal of Honor citations. United States Army Center of Military History. August 3, 2009. Retrieved July 1, 2010.
  2. SSgt. Maynard H. Smith - Arlington National Cemetery
  3. Maynard H. Smith - Home of Heroes
  4. Mikaelian, Allen, with Mike Wallace, (2002). - Medal of Honor: Profiles of America's Military Heroes from the Civil War to the Present. - New York: Hyperion. - pp.146-147. - ISBN 978-0-7868-6662-5.
  5. Mikaelian. pp.147-148.
  6. Rooney, Andy (March 6, 2009). "Andy On Heroism - Andy Rooney Explains Why Most Heroes Are Unlikely". CBS News. Retrieved 2009-03-09.
  7. Mikaelian. pp.137.
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