John J. Smith Jr.

SERGEANT JOHN J. SMITH JR. was born on June 15, 1924 to John and Elsie Smith. He was the great-grandson of Civil War General Franz Sigel. He lived at 210 Main Street in Camden NJ. He attended the Cooper School in Camden, and after leaving school, worked at the RTC Shipyard in Camden. John Smith enlisted in the United States Army on his 18th birthday.

John Smith qualified for flight duty, and trained as a nose gunner and toggleer.  He went overseas as a member of the 33rd Bomber Squadron, 94th Bombardment Group, Heavy. He had received the Purple Heart several months before he was killed when he was wounded during a mission.

Sergeant Smith was killed in action on July 31, 1944 when his B-17 went down over Munich, Germany. His body was not found until almost five years after he had been lost. Located early in 1949, John Smith was returned home during the summer of 1949. He was interred at Beverly National Cemetery in Beverly NJ on August 1, 1949. Sergeant Smith was survived by his parents, two brothers, George and William, and a sister, Mrs. Catherine Shindler.

Camden
Courier-Post

April 12, 1949

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