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OKLAHOMA CITY – An Explosive Ordnance Disposal-qualified U.S. Army Chemical Corps officer was recently inducted into the Oklahoma Military Hall of Fame for his heroic actions during a mission in the Vietnam War.
Capt. Frederick P. Smith saved a helicopter crew when tear gas canisters (CS) that were being used to force the enemy out of hiding started to go off in the helicopter.
Part of the Technical Escort Unit from Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland, Smith served as the Assistant Division Chemical Officer with Headquarters Company, 2nd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile), U.S. Army Pacific, in the Republic of Vietnam.
On February 13, 1971, Smith was part of a “sniffer mission” over Binh Thuy Province. These missions used CS gas to drive the enemy out of hiding and force them into the open.
During the flight, the arming wires loosened, and the aerial CS canisters began detonating inside the UH-1 Huey helicopter.
Even though he was badly burned by the black powder, Smith pushed the canisters out of the helicopter and fell 1,500 feet to his death.
Smith made the ultimate sacrifice to save the remaining seven Soldiers on the Huey. He was posthumously awarded the Silver Star for his actions.
After graduation from Northeast High School in 1964, Smith planned to go to college and then medical school. He wanted to be a surgeon.
“Our family consisted of our mother, Fred, and his four younger siblings, and it was clear there were no resources for that,” said his sister Susan McWater.
“After high school he worked full time at a grocery store and was able to take a couple of college classes,” said Susan McWater. “He was very determined, no matter how long it took. In the summer of 1965, he received a draft notice, and he enlisted in the Army shortly after.”
Fred Smith joined the Army at 19 when his siblings were 12, 11, 9 and 7.
“He was very smart and a natural leader,” said his brother Tony Smith. “We can all attest to that as he was ‘in charge of’ his four younger siblings almost since we were born. He was a father to us.”
Smith enlisted in the Army in 1965 and initially trained as an artilleryman.
He was later selected for Infantry Officer Candidate School and commissioned in April 1967 as a 2nd lieutenant in the Chemical Corps.
“Fred was always thinking ahead and wanted to serve his country any way he could,” said his brother Tony Smith. “Serving as an EOD and Chemical Corps Officer was his way to do that.”
From April 1967 through January 1969, Smith trained to become an Explosive Ordnance Disposal specialist. After completing Airborne School in February 1970, he arrived in the Republic of Vietnam in April 1970.
U.S. Army Sgt. Maj. Mike Vining, a U.S. military legend in his own right, previously served together with Smith at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Escort and Disposal Detachment in Denver, Colorado.
Vining participated in many of the American military operations that defined the latter part of the 20th century, as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician and an elite Special Forces Operator. He also remains active in the veteran’s community.
One of the founding EOD technicians of the U.S. Army’s most elite Special Mission Unit, Vining said he learned a lot from Smith when he was a junior noncommissioned EOD technician.
“Fred and I disposed of tens of thousands of M55 115mm rocket motors at the arsenal in Colorado,” said Vining. “Under Fred ’s leadership and direction, we safely and effectively cleared the Green Mountain Impact Area and disposed of the rocket motors. As a young specialist and a recent graduate of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal School, I learned a great deal about disposal operations under Fred's guidance.”
Vining and Smith later crossed paths during the Vietnam War.
“I had arrived in-country earlier and we renewed our friendship,” said Vining. “Whenever my unit, the 99th Ordnance Detachment (EOD) supported the 2nd Brigade, Fred always made sure that we got the support from the brigade to do our mission. Whenever we would encounter a problem, Fred would do his best to assist us.”
Smith’s son Eric was born in October 1970 while he was still serving in Vietnam.
“I remember Fred showing me a baby photo of Eric,” said Vining. “He was so proud.”
“Unfortunately, Fred was killed five months later. I was back in the states when I received a letter in the mail from a friend, Lee Holman, still in Vietnam,” said Vining. “Lee told me that he was sorry to inform me that my friend, Captain Smith, died in an aviation accident.”
Vining continued to look for more information about Smith’s death. In the mid 2000s, Vining decided to nominate Smith for the U.S. Army Chemical Corps Hall of Fame.
Smith was later added to the EOD Memorial at the Naval EOD School on Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.
Vining wanted to contact Smith’s family to tell them about his nomination to the U.S. Army Chemical Corps Hall of Fame.
After an exhaustive search that included a local news station and several local Episcopal Churches, Vining finally narrowed the search down to one cathedral in Oklahoma City.
“I went on their website and explained that I was trying to find Fred's family,” Vining said. “Father George Miley, of the St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral, contacted me. By luck, I believe it was Fred's nephew that still went to that church.”
The pastor contacted the nephew who asked his mother to help him locate Susan McWater, Smith’s sister.
“With Susan's help we sent away to the Military Personnel Records Center and got Fred's records,” said Vining. “We did not have contact information for Fred' son. I posted information on Find-A-Grave about Fred. Eric's wife Jennifer was searching the internet to see what she could find about Eric's father. Jennifer found me and the family was reconnected again.”
Vining did everything he could to honor a fallen American hero and to ensure his family knew how important he was to the troops he served with in the Army.
“The recognition of Fred's sacrifice is paramount,” said his sister Susan McWater. “Because of his sacrifice, he lost everything; his life, his family, his bright future. Given an opportunity, he would have gone on to do great things. The men and women who make these sacrifices for the rest of us should never be forgotten.”
His sister Anne Cook said the recognition is important to his family.
“We are so proud of him, and because of his sacrifice, his men stayed to continue to serve, to marry, have children and grandchildren for this wonderful continuation of life for so many,” said Anne Cook. “God gives us moments when we can serve him in a special way. I think this is what my brother did with God’s mercy.
His son Eric Smith said he was very grateful for the recognition that his father had received.
“I was four months old when my father passed in Vietnam, so we never met. From a very young age, I knew he saved lives before he died, and that made it a bit easier accepting that I would live my life without my father,” said Smith, who lives in Detroit with his wife and two children. “But I knew those men on the helicopter would have a chance to be fathers, husbands, and grandfathers.”
Smith said his father continues to inspire him today.
“My father influenced me to have integrity, heart, good values and to strive for myself, my family and community. I hope that I have passed these thoughts and values on to my children and people I have met throughout my life,” said Smith.
“My father being recognized honors his memory and the selfless act on that day he gave his life for his crew,” said Smith. “My mother lost her husband, I lost my father, and my children would never know their grandfather. My father being honored by these great organizations brings joy and pride to my family for the great man he was.”
In one of the most moving tributes to Capt. Frederick Smith, his mother Doris F. Smith wrote a poem titled “To a captain” that captured her grief, pride and love following Smith’s death in Vietnam. It read:
“Duty walked, harsh and mean, but you obeyed. Now I bring prayers and flowers, proudly - and oh, gently, gently, to your grave.”
| Date Taken: | 02.27.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 02.27.2025 16:30 |
| Story ID: | 491717 |
| Location: | OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA, US |
| Hometown: | DETROIT, MICHIGAN, US |
| Hometown: | OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA, US |
| Web Views: | 272 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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