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My fathers story Major Murray Smith 1920-85


wolfman
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Murray was the youngest of three brothers Dick being the oldest and Harry being the middle son. Murray's mother was widowed in 1917

and she remarried in early 1920 he was born just a few months later in oshawa ontario. Murray left school at the age of 14 and started

working with the railroad. In 1937 his family relocated to Maine Dick was at this point living in England. Harry joined the USMC in 1940 and stayed in until 1975. Murray worked on a farm until 1939 upon the Canadian declaration of war he enlisted in the Canadian army but left in febuary of 1941. On May 29th he received news that Dick was MIA after the ship he was serving on was lost in the North Atlantic. The next day Murray enlisted in the United States Army his service would span both WW2 and Korea ad see him rise from Pfc to Major. He left the service in 1960

(Details on his service will be in a thread under the groupings section soon)

 

He often talked about North Africa "That place was mile after mile of sand at least in Italy and France we had some sense of movement in Tunisia it was like walking along a never ending beach only you had to worry constantly about any number of things" and about his first wounding which occured on june 8th "I was shocked that I made it off that beach you know it was hell no other word for it guys id known for years just went down like theyd run into a giant wall and I kept thinking why them why not me for the next two days it bothered me it really did. We were asked to scout ahead of our company we made it bout a mile and a bit and then zing I was laying on the ground I dont remember pain just shock and I thought thats it they got me"

( i took the time to record hours of talk such as this)

 

After getting out we ( I was born 7 months before he got out) moved up to Prince George BC and he went back to a passion he'd had since he was a boy he became a bush pilot and flew for over 20 years. Some of my earliest memories are of him and his DHC2 I joined the army and then the fire dept. He was active with the Royal Canadian Legion and very well known and liked. On July 12 1985 a storm did what so many germans an koreans tried to do. He lost his way in a storm and hit a outcropping. His ashes where scattered over Mcleod Lake as he had requested. He was 64 years old

 

post-107343-0-32788300-1361705626.jpg

The photo is of his "Beaver" in flight

Thanks for reading David

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What a great man David. Question-so he landed in Normandy on D-Day correct?

 

Correct he went in with the 1st battalion 16th infantry regiment 1st infantry division.

 

KySolider he was with the Tenth corps

 

Regards David

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