Help identifying WWII pearl harbor survivor

[collector1944]

I purchased a navy front seam swivel bail a while back with "lucky Smith" written on the front and "Tennessee" written on the back. I just recently have tried to research the helmet and have found an article from 1991 which is and interview with a pearl harbor survivor Richard "lucky" Smith who served on the USS Tennessee. I figure this must be the same person, the article says he served the rest of the war on the USS Bache and at one point he was the chief fire controller. If anyone has any information on this sailor on either ship, it would be greatly appreciated!

 

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[zsmith]

I was able to start with the USS Bache in 1942 where I found a Richard Embree Smith (311 13 75). From there I was able to backtrack him to the USS Tennessee. Here's what I found:

 

Enlisted: 10/2/1935

Received on Tennessee: 8/23/1936

He is listed on the ships muster rolls for Dec 7, 1941

He left the Tennessee on 6/30/1942 and went to RS Washington DC

From there he went to RS New York on 11/14/42 and then transferred to the Bache

 

He was a Fire Controlman as well. It looks like this guy matches up with the information you provided.

[zsmith]

USS Tennessee muster roll for Dec 7, 1941

 

[zsmith]

[zsmith]

[zsmith]

And the same Richard Smith on the USS Bache

 

[zsmith]

Find A Grave: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=smith&GSfn=richard&GSmn=embree&GSbyrel=all&GSdyrel=all&GSob=n&GRid=120562178&df=all&

 

Richard Embree Smith was raised in Flint,

Michigan. His father, Detective Sergeant Caleb Embree Smith died 10/27/1921 when he was five years old. His death was never solved.

His mother was considered a woman without means so the 2 boys were placed with their grandfather James E. Smith until they finished school. Both attended Great Lakes Navel Academy after High School, and went on to serve on the U.S.S. Bache and The U.S.S. Tennessee together at times. Richard attended gunnery school and range finding in Wash. D.C.

Richard and his brother Jack William Smith are both W.W.II Pearl Harbor survivors. Jack was on the U.S.S. California, Richard on the U.S.S. Tennessee. Richard also was at the Battle of Leyte Gulf in the Philippines. Both joined the Oakland Police Dept in California after the war. In 1960, Richard lost his brother to cancer and his 11 year marriage fell apart. He was blessed with three children from that union and always stayed close and envolved, even gaining custody of son.

Summers meant big 6 week vacations for Richard to visit relatives in Michigan and hit big museums in Mi., D.C., N.Y. and natural wonders like the Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, Painted Desert, N.Y./Seattle/Toronto Worlds Fairs, fishing & camping, picnic watching ore boats, even Kennedy's gravesite the year he was killed (it was piled with fresh pine branches and the eternal flame wasn't perfected yet).

Some years we traveled by train across Canada & routes across the U.S.

He loved trains!

Richard retired in 1971. He went back to Flint, Michigan. He offered to lecture in some of the schools on drug abuse and gang activities. As a deputy for the Sheriff Dept., he did this for 7 yrs. During this time he met and married a 4th time in 1973. They eventually tried the motorhome snowbird route of avoiding the snow,then sold out, settling in Lady Lake, Florida. Richard traveled by trains until 1990.

Richard acquired monocular degeneration. His blindness and the onset of congestive heart issues, dementia & Alzheimers necessitated a care facility the last 18 months of his life. It was a long goodbye for family. In the end he was fighting a bad cold & congestive heart failure.

 

 

 

[collector1944]

Thanks for your assistance! It is greatly appreciated!

 

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