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 North Korean aggressively interrupting U.N. patrols. In May 1952 an estimated total of 102,000 artillery and mortar rounds fell in Eighth Army positions.
As a result of increased Chinese ground action in the 45th Division sector, the division planned an operation to establish eleven patrol bases across its front. Operation COUNTER began on 6 June. By the 7th, ten of the eleven objectives had been taken. The last one (Hi11 191, eight miles west of Ch'orwon) was captured after a 48-hour battle on 14 June. The Chinese immediately launched counterattacks along the entire division front, climaxing their efforts on the night of 28-29 June with an unsuccessful 4-hour attack. The division sustained over 1,000 casualties during the month of June; Chinese losses were estimated at more than 5,000.
Throughout the first half of 1952, the U.N. forces waged a. war of containment. The frontline soldier, meanwhile, hoped that the armistice negotiators would soon reach an agreement.
As the Korean War went into its third year, in June 1952, the deadlock continued. July began with a series of small-scale attacks by both sides. Torrential rains restricted activity in the last week of July and through most of August. For some time the enemy had gradually increased the volume of mortar and artillery fire in support of his attacks, and in September fired a total of 45,000 rounds against the Eighth Army's front.
During the summer of 1952 the air war over Korea intensified. In addition to striking at supply centers, troop concentrations, power plants, factories, and rail and road networks, U.N. aircraft rendered valuable assistance to frontline troops by bombing, or searing with napalm, enemy bunkers, trenches, gun positions, and communications lines. On 29 August the largest U.N. air raid of the Korean War was carried out on P'yongyang, the North Korean capital. During the month of September alone the U.S. Fifth Air Force shot down 64 MIG-15's at a cost of seven Sabrejets.
A series of enemy attacks in October 1952 produced some of the heaviest fighting in more than a year. Most of it centered around two key heights, Hills 281 and 395, northwest of Ch'orwon. The attacks were opened on 6 October with the largest volume of mortar and artillery fire received by the Eighth Army during the war. By 15 October the disputed ground was held firmly by U.N. forces, and the enemy withdrew. Over 2,000 Chinese dead were counted on these two hills after the 10-day battle.
