This Military Service Page was created/owned by
Sheila Rae Myers, HM3
to remember
Smith, Roderic Lee, CAPT.
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Contact Info
Home Town Lincoln, NB
Date of Passing Feb 09, 2000
Location of Interment Arlington National Cemetery (VLM) - Arlington, Virginia
Wall/Plot Coordinates 2 E 213 A-1
Official Badges
Unofficial Badges
Additional Information
Last Known Activity:
Captain Smith's mother died when he was only seven months old. He was raided by his father and his extended family. The time was split between living with his father, who was a Presbyterian minister, and living with his mother's relatives.
Once he graduated high school, he got a job on a survey crew for the Sante Fe Railroad. He thought he would stay with job instead of going to college. A few years later, he did attend college and majored in education. Serving in the ministry was not even on his mind. While in college, he joined the YMCA and he and his friends began talking about doing missionary work. One thing led to another and he finally decided to attend seminary and become a Presbyterian minister like his father.
His career in the Navy is outlined in this profile. After he retired, he returned the Presbyterian church and served in one capacity or another until he was in his early 80s.
Other Comments:
The information contained in this profile was compiled from various internet sources.
Description The Battle of Leyte Gulf, also called the Battles for Leyte Gulf, and formerly known as the Second Battle of the Philippine Sea, is generally considered to be the largest naval battle of World War II and, by some criteria, possibly the largest naval battle in history.
It was fought in waters near the Philippine islands of Leyte, Samar and Luzon from 23–26 October 1944, between combined US and Australian forces and the Imperial Japanese Navy. On 20 October, United States troops invaded the island of Leyte as part of a strategy aimed at isolating Japan from the countries it had occupied in Southeast Asia, and in particular depriving its forces and industry of vital oil supplies. The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) mobilized nearly all of its remaining major naval vessels in an attempt to defeat the Allied invasion, but was repulsed by the US Navy's 3rd and 7th Fleets. The IJN failed to achieve its objective, suffered very heavy losses, and never afterwards sailed to battle in comparable force. The majority of its surviving heavy ships, deprived of fuel, remained in their bases for the rest of the Pacific War.
The Battle of Leyte Gulf consisted of four separate engagements between the opposing forces: the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea, the Battle of Surigao Strait, the Battle of Cape Engaño and the Battle off Samar, as well as other actions.
It was the first battle in which Japanese aircraft carried out organized kamikaze attacks. By the time of the battle, Japan had fewer aircraft than the Allied forces had sea vessels, demonstrating the difference in power of the two sides at this point of the war.
