The birth place for Frederick Eliphaz Smith is recorded in both Ramsey County, North Dakota and Rockford, Illinois. His family residence is recorded as both Ramsey and Grand Forks, North Dakota. As a result, this document is being placed in both the Ramsey and Grand Forks archives files. ************************************************ Smith, Fred E. 1918 WWI 308th Infantry, 77th Division ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/nd/ndfiles.htm ************************************************ Two files and other information recorded: ************************************************ File 1 contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com December 9, 2007, 10:19 pm Congressional Medal Of Honor Citation Fred E. Smith, lieutenant colonel, 308th Infantry, 77th Division. For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action with the enemy near Binarville, France, September 28, 1918. When communication from the forward regimental post of command to the battalion leading the advance had been interrupted temporarily by the infiltration of small parties of the enemy armed with machine guns, Lieut. Col. Smith personally led a party of 2 other officers and 10 soldiers, and went forward to reestablish runner posts and carry ammunition to the front line. The guide became confused and the party strayed to the left flank beyond the outposts of supporting troops, suddenly coming under fire from a group of enemy machine guns only 50 yards away. Shouting to the other members of his party to take cover, this officer, in disregard of his own danger, drew his pistol and opened fire on the German gun crew. About this time he fell, severely wounded in the side, but, regaining his footing, he continued to fire on the enemy until most of the men in his party were out of danger. Refusing first-aid treatment he then made his way in plain view of the enemy to a hand-grenade dump and returned under continued heavy machine-gun fire for the purpose of making another attack on the enemy emplacements. As he was attempting to ascertain the exact location of the nearest nest, he again fell, mortally wounded. Emergency address: Mrs. Clara R. Smith, wife, 646 East Sixtieth Street, Portland, Oreg. Entered military service from North Dakota. Additional Comments: Extracted from: CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE CROSS AND THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL ISSUED BY THE WAR DEPARTMENT Since April 6, 1917 Up to and including General Orders, No. 126, War Department, November 11, 1919 COMPILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE ADJUTANT GENERAL OF THE ARMY WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1920 ************************************************ File 2 contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Mike Peterson lineage40@cox.net December 12, 2015 Roster of the Men and Women Who Served in the Army or Naval Service (Including the Marine Corps) of the United States or its Allies from the State of North Dakota in the World War, 1917-1918 Volume 4 Rich to Zygmond Name: Fred E. Smith Army #: none Registrant: no, enlisted prior Birth Place: Rockford, Ill. Birth Date: 29 Mar 1873 Parent's Origin: of (nationality of parents not given) Occupation: student Comment: appointed from civil life to the United States Military Academy, West Point, N. Y., on (date not given); graduated from the United States Military Academy, West Point, N. Y., on Feb. 24, 1899; commissioned 2nd Lieutenant, Feb. 24, 1899. Promoted: Captain, (date not given); assigned to 15th Infantry, to July 12, 1918; 308th Infantry, to death. Promoted: Major, Aug. 3, 1917; Lieutenant-Colonel, Aug. 29, 1917; overseas from April 25, 1918, to death. Engagements: Offensives: Oise-Aisne; Meuse-Argonne. Defensive Sectors: Baccarat (Lorraine); Vesle (Champagne); Foret-d'Argonne (Lorraine). Principal stations: Syracuse, N. Y.; Fort Thomas, Ky.; Camp Meade, Md.; AEF. Killed in action on Sept. 29, 1918; buried, Grave 18, Row 7, Block A, Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery, Romagne-sous-Montfaucon, Meuse, France. Awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty, in action with the enemy near Binarville, France, Sept. 28, 1918. When communication from the forward regimental post of command to the battalion leading the advance had been interrupted temporarily, by the infiltration of small parties of the enemy armed with machine guns, Lieutenant-Colonel Smith personally led a party of two other officers and ten soldiers, and went forward to reestablish runner posts and carry ammunition to the front line. The guide became confused and the party strayed to the left flank beyond the outposts of supporting troops, suddenly coming under fire from a group of enemy machine guns only 50 yards away. Shouting to the other members of his party to take cover, this officer, in disregard of his own danger, drew his pistol and opened fire on the German gun crew. About this time he fell, severely wounded in the side, but regaining his footing, he continued to fire on the enemy until most of the men in his party were out of danger. Refusing first aid treatment he then made his way in plain view of the enemy to a hand-grenade dump and returned under continued heavy machine-gun fire for the purpose of making another attack on the enemy emplacements. As he was attempting to ascertain the exact location of the nearest nest, he again fell, mortally wounded. Awarded the French Legion d'Honneur (officer), by Presidential Decree of May 5, 1919, and French Croix de Guerre with palm, under Order No. 16,043 "D," dated April 13, 1919, General Headquarters, French Armies of the East, with the following citation: "An admirably courageous and devoted officer. On Sept. 29, 1918, the liaison between the advance post of command of his regiment and that of the attacking battalion having been cut by enemy patrols armed with machine guns, he took command of a group of two officers and ten men for the purpose of reestablishing the communications. Coming face to face with the enemy detachments he advanced several times in front of his group, killing several adversaries with his revolver and endeavoring to discover the locations of the others, until he was severely wounded." Awarded the Italian Croce di Guerra. ************************************************ Note: these files have been removed from the unknown as recorded below and placed in: a. http://files.usgwarchives.net/nd/grandforks/military/ww1/smith2gmt.txt and b. http://files.usgwarchives.net/nd/ramsey/military/ww1/smith2gmt.txt . File was at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/nd/unknown/military/ww1/other/smith2gmt.txt and was created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/ndfiles/ File size: 2.6 Kb ************************************************ Note: Smith is buried in France. A Find A Grave Memorial can be found here: http://findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=smith&GSfn=fred&GSby=1873&GSbyrel=in&GSdyrel=all&GScntry=7&GSob=n&GRid=7862958&df=all& ************************************************