Emmett A. Smith - KIA Peleliu [UPDATED Jan 2023]

[tdogchristy90]

Emmett Aaron Smith was born April 18, 1924 in Quimby, Iowa to Bert and Leona Smith. Growing up, Emmett was an active child, participating in baseball, basketball, track, wrestling, boxing, and swimming while in high school. After his schooling the family moved to Portland Oregon to work in the wartime ship yards where Smith was a shipfitter. 

 

Quimby Consolidated School, Senior 1942.

 

School Baseball team, 1942. Smith is in the lower row, tall one seated in the center. 

 

Emmett Smith was drafted into the United States Marine Corps on May 5, 1943 out of De Moines, Iowa. Following his training in California, Smith was placed in Company K/3/5 for three months before transferring to Company I, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division for the duration of his military service.

 

 

On October 28, 1943, Emmett Smith boarded the USS Rochambeau in San Diego, California and headed for the Pacific. He sailed through New Caledonia, D'Entrecasteaux Islands, and New Guinea. On December 25, 1943, Emmett Smith sailed on LST #33 from New Guinea to Cape Gloucester, New Britain. 

 

The Battle of Cape Gloucester, undertaken to help secure a route from which General MacArthur could approach the Philippines, began when the 1st Marine Division went ashore just before 8:00 a.m. on December 26, 1943. Although they met some Japanese resistance along the way, the major obstacle for the Marines was dense jungle, swampy conditions, and the monsoon season on the island. Despite this, the 1st Marine Division was able to capture their object, the airfield on the island, doing so on December 30th. Following sharp fighting around Suicide Creek and overcoming a well defended enemy on Aogiri Ridge by the 3rd Battalions of the 5th and 7th Marine Regiments, the 1st Marine Division secured its hold on Cape Gloucester with the capture of hill #660 on January 16, 1943.

 

To intercept the withdrawing enemy, the 5th Marines were tasked with capturing the Willaumez Peninsula, east of Cape Gloucester, and taking the airstrip at Talasea. On March 6, 1944, elements of the 5th Marine Regiment landed on the Peninsula and captured the airstrip within a few days. Following this the Marines were relieved by the Army. Smith then sailed from Cape Gloucester on board the USS Elmore on May 5, 1944 and arrived on Pavuvu, Russel Islands on May 8, 1944.

 

Following four months of relaxation and resupply of the 1st Marine Division on Pavuvu, the Division set sail from the island on August 27, 1944, with Smith aboard LST #268, landing on Guadalcanal the following day. On September 4th, Smith set sail from Guadalcanal aboard LST #268, headed for Peleliu Island in the Palau Island Group.  

 

Peleliu Island, part of the Palau Island group, was the next stepping stone in the allied march across the Pacific. Following the fall of Japan’s first line of defense with the seizure of the Solomon Islands, New Guinea, the Gilbert and Marshall Islands, and the Mariana Islands, Peleliu was next in support of General McArthur’s drive to the Philippines. To accomplish this, it was thought necessary to capture the airfield on Peleliu to deny the Japanese a base from which to harass McArthur’s forces.

 

The First Marine Division, made up of the 1st, 5th, and 7th Marine Regiments, landed on Peleliu on September 15, 1944. The first amtracks began landing about 8:30 a.m.

As part of the assault wave, Emmett Smith’s 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines landed on Orange beach #2. Company I, Smith’s Company, landed on the left, Company K landed on the right, and Company L came in right behind the assault waves. Following initial resistance, as well as communication breakdowns that led to a loss of contact between the companies,  the 3rd battalion was brought back into line and integrated with her two sister battalions to shore up the 5th Marine Regiment as it advanced inland.

 

The initial objective of the 5th Marine Regiment was the airfield on Peleliu. While  they met little ground resistance they did come under heavy weapons and sniper fire from the high ground as they advanced across the airfield. Once across, they encountered the main defensive feature on Peleliu, the ridge system. As the 5th Marines advanced on September 17th, they met increasingly heavy flanking fire coming from the ridges above which slowed their progress. They advanced along the East Road which lies at the base of the Umurbrogol Mountains only to be held up by heavy and consistent fire from the Japanese defenses above them.

 

Following their advance through the airfield and their crawl through the ridge system, Company I and K advanced through the Ngardololok area and secured Purple Beach, helping to secure the northeastern peninsula, the bottom of the lobster claw, for the Marines by September 23, 1944.

 

On the afternoon of September 25th, Smith’s 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, who had been setup along Purple Beach, moved through the Garekoru lines of the 321st Regimental Combat Team and attacked north towards the tip of the northwest Peninsula. The 5th Marines were able to move swiftly down the peninsula, with 3rd battalion capturing Hill 80, and sealing off the northern tip of Peleliu the following day. 

 

While other elements of the 5th Marine Regiment were occupied with the caves on Peleliu, 3/5 was tasked with assaulting Ngesebus Island at the northern end of Peleliu. On September 28th at around 9:00 a.m., 3/5 went ashore and encountered roughly 500 Japanese on the island in caves and well defended positions. Most of the island was captured by 5:00 p.m. with 3rd Battalion completing the capture of Ngesebus Island on September 29th. All of northern Peleliu was declared secure on September 30, 1944. The 3rd Battalion along with the rest of the 5th Marines were sent to the Ngardololok area to rest and recover.

 

After rest and recovery in the Ngardololok area, the 3rd battalion, 5th Marines, on October 2nd, began the drive to reduce the Umurbrogol Pocket, the last major defensive hold out for the Japanese on Peleliu Island. They initially made two assaults on the heights known as the “Five Sisters” before being withdrawn while the remainder of the 5th Marines continued to attack the Pocket. On the 12th of October, 3/5 relieved the 2nd Battalion and began their own mission to root out the enemy from their defenses in the Umurbrogol Pocket.

 

The 3rd Battalion moved into a sector that was not only active but was unfamiliar to most of the fighting men. As the 3rd Battalion relieved the 2nd Battalion, confusion brought on by relieving one unit with another on the front lines was exploited by the Japanese in the ridges. As Company I, Smith’s Company, was extending their lines they came under heavy fire by the Japanese. By the 13th of October, 3/5 was the only unit of the 5th Marine Regiment still on the line and the only unit of the Division with immediate orders to attack westward to further constrict the Umurbrogol Pocket.

 

Following advances of a couple hundred yards by Companies I and K without meeting much resistance, preparations were made for a serious advance the following morning.

 

On the 14th of October a napalm strike preceded the mornings attack. At 8:00 a.m., Company I began the attack in which it met resistance, noted as “sever enemy sniper fire” by the Regimental War Diary. When the Marines dug in for the night around 4:30 p.m., they had advanced roughly 250 yards. The other remaining companies of 3/5 spent the 14th improving the Regiments position. The 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division was finally pulled off the line by the 321st Infantry, of the Army’s 81st Infantry Division, on October 15, 1944. 

 

It was during the advance within the ridges of the Umurbrogol Pocket, by Company I on October 14, 1944, that Emmett Aaron Smith was killed in action with a gunshot wound to the neck. He was only 20 years old and was initially buried in USAF Cemetery #1, grave 304, section 4. He was repatriated to the United States and is now buried in Lincoln Memorial Park, Portland, Oregon. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The New Britain Campaign

https://www.usmcu.edu/Research/Marine-Corps-History-Division/Brief-Histories/Marines-in-World-War-II/The-New-Britain-Campaign/

 

Waging War in a Rain Forest

https://www.usni.org/magazines/naval-history-magazine/2010/april/waging-war-rain-forest

 

The Assault on Peleliu 

https://www.usmcu.edu/Portals/218/Hough_The Assault on Peleliu.pdf

 

The Battle of Peleliu

https://www.usmcu.edu/Research/Marine-Corps-History-Division/Brief-Histories/Marines-in-World-War-II/The-Battle-of-Peleliu/

 

Operation Stalemate II: The Battle of Peleliu

https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/wars-conflicts-and-operations/world-war-ii/1944/peleliu.html

 

Big Thank you to…

 

Tarbridge

AZNation

Golden Arrow Research

The Quimby Public Library

Stratasfan

The National Archives

 

 

~Without a witness, they just disappear.~

[Kurt Barickman]

Very nice 3/5 group. The PH with the documents really make it fantastic.

 

Kurt

[fightn5th]

Fantastic medal and doc group 

[warguy]

Very nice group!

[Trevor Arendall]

Wow! What a beautiful medal, I am very unfamiliar with marine related medals. Would you happen to know if he took part in the capture of the Peleliu Airfield? 

[Old Crow 1986]

Great grouping.  Looking forward to an update when the archives reopen.  I truly enjoy and appreciate caretaker stories.  Thanks!

[scottplen]

Top notch !

[USMC_ROB]

Semper Fi. Nice to see his memories being preserved.

[patrick_usmc]

Wow. Everything looks to be in great condition too. Glad you're caring for this group. Thanks for sharing. 

[Colt Tanker]

Very nice group. My uncle Carroll Caltrider was there as a Navy Corpsman HQ/3rd Battalion/7th Marines/1st Division.  Later was in Okinawa landing.  

[tdogchristy90]

On 12/15/2020 at 3:14 PM, Trevor Arendall said:

Wow! What a beautiful medal, I am very unfamiliar with marine related medals. Would you happen to know if he took part in the capture of the Peleliu Airfield? 

 

Trevor,

 

As I dig into his story, here’s what I’ve come up with. The Assault on Peleliu by the Marine Corps Historical Division (1950) has...

 

5th Marines, 3rd Battalion landing on Orange Beach 2 on Sept. 15th with Company I on the left, Company K on the right, and Company L coming in just behind the assault wave.

 

By Oct. 13th, 3rd Battalion was the only unit of the 5th Marines still on the line.

 

On Oct. 14th, following a napal strike, company I attacked the ridges and according to the Regimental War Diary came under “severe enemy sniper fire.”

 

This was the day Smith was killed.

 

On Oct. 15th the 3rd Battalion was relieved by the 321st Infantry and went to rest in the northern defense zone. 

 

Now what I’m missing is what Company I was up to during the 5th Regiment assault on the airfield. I know the 5th Marines assaulted the airfield, does anyone know what the units I/L/K were doing?

 

 

 

[Trevor Arendall]

22 hours ago, tdogchristy90 said:

 

Trevor,

 

As I dig into his story, here’s what I’ve come up with. The Assault on Peleliu by the Marine Corps Historical Division (1950) has...

 

5th Marines, 3rd Battalion landing on Orange Beach 2 on Sept. 15th with Company I on the left, Company K on the right, and Company L coming in just behind the assault wave.

 

By Oct. 13th, 3rd Battalion was the only unit of the 5th Marines still on the line.

 

On Oct. 14th, following a napal strike, company I attacked the ridges and according to the Regimental War Diary came under “severe enemy sniper fire.”

 

This was the day Smith was killed.

 

On Oct. 15th the 3rd Battalion was relieved by the 321st Infantry and went to rest in the northern defense zone. 

 

Now what I’m missing is what Company I was up to during the 5th Regiment assault on the airfield. I know the 5th Marines assaulted the airfield, does anyone know what the units I/L/K were doing?

 

 

 

Wow! what an amazing story. Thank you for sharing! I cannot answer your question but I do believe that I can admire this piece of history. Absolutely beautiful! Can't wait to hear what the various units were doing during the assault.

[tdogchristy90]

An update for those following this...
 

The mother had been having trouble seeking compensation for her sons service. She wrote a letter to the service compensation board detailing the issue.

 

The family moved from Iowa to Oregon in 1942 to work in the wartime shipyards. Once there they were stuck in Oregon for the duration. Emmett, the son, was drafted by the Iowa draft board in 1943. Leona (the mother) says that even though they are in Oregon for work, Emmett was born and raised in Iowa. Iowa was there home, not Oregon. They were stuck in Oregon because of wartime work and Iowa should be the state of residence and draft state. So the mother was trying to clear up residency issues for compensation. 

[644td]

Excellent history and Purple Heart grouping

[manayunkman]

Solid group.

[Matt-M]

So terrible. A mother loses her son and then has to fight for compensation. I also have a KIA grouping to a US Navy Air Gunner who was 19 when killed in the South Pacific with letters between his mother and the authorities not only to try and bring the body of her son home to the states, but for burial costs as well. Let us continue to honor them by remembering them, keeping their story alive and present. Glad you are looking after this one, tdog. Semper Fi and RIP Corporal Emmett A. Smith. Thank you for giving all.

[katieony]

A very poignant group.  Thank you for keeping this Marine's memory alive!

 

Mike

[tdogchristy90]

A quick question....

 

The PH heart certificate is too big to fit the accompanying shipping envelope. Would the USMC doc have been shipped in a similar envelope? 

[USMCR79]

I think they were rolled up with the Presidential Accolade and shipped in a mailing tube

 

Bill

[tdogchristy90]

Update....

 

I was able to get ahold of the local library who had a few books and photos on the wall. I’m pretty confident this is the Senior year photo of Emmett Smith.
 

I’ll need the archive to open so I can get his records and confirm. In the meantime, all the evidence I have points to this being his 1942 Senior picture...

 

 

[mike kelso]

Tanner, very good group. A tragic story for sure as they all are.  Thanks for sending.

[tdogchristy90]

A big update on this coming in the next few days. While his grave stone gives a date of death of Sept. 20th via the graves registration unit, every other document, correspondence, death record, and award documents from his military personnel file states KIA on Oct 14, 1944.

[stratasfan]

Have updated the original bio post! 

 

Here are a few more records just to add:

 

His Birth Record:

 

His WWII Draft Registration Card:

 

His Headstone card:

 

Iowa Bonus Case:

 

[tdogchristy90]

Updated above! Thank you. Enjoy! 

[mike kelso]

Magnificent group. Your update is well researched and a good read.