CDR FREDERIC W. SMITH, USN

Class 1949

Born October 16, 1926

Died February 8, 1965

Age 38

Hometown Portland, Oregon

Lucky Bag Yearbook

From the 1949 Lucky Bag:

Frederick W. Smith

Although he swore that he was from South Weymouth, Mass. and from Portland, Oregon, Fritz’s habits and tastes were those of a blue-blooded New Englander. After Deerfield Academy, Tufts College and one year in V-12, he commenced his Plebe Summer. He ran cross-country and track like his brother, Jim, and added wrestling for good measure. Such duties as Business Manager of the TRIDENT, sports staff of the LOG, Russian Club, and Boat Club memberships partially filled his days. Why partially? Well, during Second Class Year, Fritz took a correspondence course in Business Administration. On weekends, he could be found sailing in the yawl races with one of his many beautiful drags.

Loss

Frederic Walton Smith was lost on February 8, 1965 when his A-3 Skywarrior crashed¹ near NAS Whidbey Island, Washington. Two other aircrew were also lost.

Other Information

From the March 1965 issue of Shipmate:

Cdr. Frederic W. Smith, USN, was killed in an aircraft accident on 8 Feb. while piloting an A-3 from Naval Air Station, Whidbey Island, Wash, on a low-level training bomb run. Interment was in Arlington National Cemetery on 12 Feb.

Cdr. Smith was born 16 Oct. at South Weymouth, Mass. Following graduation, from the Naval Academy in 1949, he served in MIDWAY, completed flight training, and was a jet photo reconnaissance pilot based in BOXER in the Pacific. His last tour of duty was with Heavy Attack Squadron Four.

Surviving are his widow, Suzanne McHenry Smith, and sons Frederick Walton 12, Dana Leigh 11, and Craig Baldwin 9, of 113 Crescent Loop, Oak Harbor, Wash.

His wife accepted a posthumous Ph.D. for him from American University on June 9, 1968. His “nearly finished manuscript was on his desk at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station when he was killed;” it was later submitted by his brother, RADM James A. Smith, “and was accepted with all requirements for the degree satisfied.” (Information from September-October 1968 issue of Shipmate.)

Frederic is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Richard Peterson ’49 was also a member of the Boat Club.

References

Previously accessible at http://www.a3skywarrior.com/personnel/memorials/lost-in-the-line-of-duty.html ↩︎

Class of 1949

Frederic is one of 38 members of the Class of 1949 on Virtual Memorial Hall.