Remember...
Gerald Kermit Smith
19317-1950
"I'm proud of what we did and we did it. The words at the Korean memorial spell that out. Freedom is not free. And we went to help a country that needed it."
Spencer Titley
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Remember...Gerald Kermit Smith
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Marine Private First Class Gerald Kermit Smith was born in Ronceverte, Greenbrier County, West Virginia, on November 11, 1931, the youngest child of William Reginald Kermit Smith (a carpenter) and Catherine B. Withrow Smith. He had two sisters: Zetha Mae (married name, Wade) and Ramona (married name, Swepston), who were three and two years older than Gerald, respectively.
According to Pfc. Smith's nephew and namesake, Gerald Swepston, who was born after Smith's untimely death but heard the family lore regarding his uncle, Gerald Kermit Smith was "an all-around good kid," brought up in a typical Greenbrier County family. He participated in Boy Scouts, liked the outdoors, and was a member of his school's drama class. In 1949, he graduated from Greenbrier High School and from there joined the Marines on September 7 of that year. A death notice in the Beckley Post-Herald dated October 3, 1950, notes he received his boot training at Parris Island, South Carolina, and graduated as a "wireman for field telephone" at Camp Pendleton, Oceanside, California. He then received special training in radio repair on amphibious tractors in San Francisco and debarked from San Diego on August 18, arriving in Japan on August 31.
Pfc. Kermit Smith was assigned to the 1st Amphibian Tractor Battalion, Fleet Marine Force, 1st Marine Division, Pacific. He was killed in action -- one of the earliest casualties from West Virginia and perhaps the first from Greenbrier County -- while fighting the enemy in Korea on September 22, 1950. The U.S. Archives Korean Conflict Casualty File indicates he was a ground casualty who died of multiple fragmentation wounds.
The date of Pfc. Smith's death, along with the history of his unit, would appear to indicate he was involved in operations during the Battle of the Pusan Perimeter, described here on The Korean War website:
Early on the morning of the 22nd, the 1st Marine Division issued orders for the capture of Seoul. Under this plan the 1st Marines would attack across the Han River from Yongdongp'o while the 7th Marines would cross the Han River via the same crossing point used by the 5th Marines and then deploy north of 5th Marine positions, thus forming a line for a three regiment assault on Seoul. Meanwhile, units of the 5th Marines engaged in heavy fighting at the western edge of the city, making little or no progress.Shortly after midnight four North Korean T-34 tanks attacked 7th Division Reconnaissance Company positions three miles south of Suwon. In this encounter two T-34 tanks were destroyed. The remainder of the night was fairly quiet and shortly after dawn Reconnaissance Company proceeded to Suwon Airfield where it was joined at approximately 10 AM by Task Force Hannum. Later that afternoon the 31st Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, arrived at Suwon Airfield and relieved the two units. Meanwhile, a number of small battles took place between the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry and North Korean units seven miles northeast of Anyang-ni. In these the 1st Battalion secured the hills south of the Han River railroad and highway bridges.
In the Pusan Perimeter sector, the North Koreans counterattacked the 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry, positions on the Sinban-ni road. The day-long battle ended in a stalemate. To the north, the 38th Infantry took Ch'ogye. Meanwhile the 9th Infantry began crossing the Naktong, leaving its 2nd Battalion on the east side of the river to mop, or contain, enemy still on that side of the river.
In the 1st Cavalry Division sector, the division organized Task Force 777 consisting of the 7th Cavalry Regiment, the 77th Field Artillery Battalion, and the 70th Tank Battalion. Led by the 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry, Task Force 777 jumped off from just west of Tabu-dong and advanced against occasional organized resistance as it sped toward the river crossing at the Sonsan Ferry. After the task force had turned on to the river road at the village of Kumgok, it was ordered to proceed on to Kaktong-ni and cross there. It arrived just before midnight and was fired on by an antitank gun, which was destroyed. However, during this exchange a shell from one of the tanks hit a North Korean ammunition truck, which exploded lighting up the night. By the light of exploding shells the task force saw hundreds of enemy in the water trying to cross the Naktong as well as a jungle of abandoned tanks, trucks and artillery pieces. It immediately opened fire, killing an estimated 200 North Korean troops in the water and capturing another 200 plus.
In the mountains north and west of Taegu, the 1st ROK Division, augmented by National Police units, continued their advance south and took the Walled City on Ka-san (Hill 903) then continued to clean out enemy pockets on that mountain and from surrounding hills.
To the east, the ROK Capital Division took Kigye and advanced toward Andong. On the east coast the 3rd ROK Division captured Hunghae, driving the North Korean 5th Division northward toward Yongdok.
For all intents and purposes, the Battle of the Pusan Perimeter was over. (Ed Evanhoe, "The Inch'on Landing and Pusan Perimeter Breakout [Sep 15 to Sep 30, 1950]," November 2002, accessed 7 January 2021, http://www.korean-war.com/TimeLine/1950/09-15to09-30-50.html.)
Despite Pfc. Smith's short term of service, he was a much-decorated veteran. His medals include the Purple Heart, the Combat Action Ribbon, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.
Pfc. Smith's remains were returned to the States, where he was interred in Riverview Cemetery, Ronceverte, with full military honors on June 3, 1951.
Family information provided by nephew Gerald Swepston. Article prepared by Patricia Richards McClure
January 2022
West Virginia Archives and History welcomes any additional information that can be provided about these veterans, including photographs, family names, letters and other relevant personal history.