LTC Fred E. Smith was born in Rockford, Illinoi on March 29, 1873. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy on February 24, 1899 and commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant on February 24, 1899, later a 1st Lieutenant and a Captain and eventually assigned to the 15th Infantry until July 12, 1918, and finally the 308th Infantry for the rest of his term or service. He was promoted to Major on August 3, 1917 and then Lieutenant Colonel on August 29, 1917. He served overseas in WWI from April 25, 1918 until his death.

LTC Smith served with the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) and participated in the following engagements in WWI: Offensives: Oise-Aisne; Meuse-Argaonne; - Defense Sectors: Baccarat (Lorraine); Vesle (Champagne); Foret-d'Argaonne (Lorraine).

Before leaving for WWI, LTC Smith's primary duty stations were: Syracuse, NY; Fort Thomas KY; and Camp Meade, MD.

He was killed in action on September 29, 1918 and is buried in Grave 18, Row 7, Bock A, at Meuse-Argonne American Cemetary, Romagne-sous-Montfaucon, Meuse, France.

In addition to the Medal of Honor (see above), he was awarded the French Legion d'Honneur (Officer), by Presidential Decree of May 5, 1919, and the French Croix De Guerre with palm under Order No 16, 043 "D," dated April 13, 1919, General Headquarters, French Armies of the East with the following citation: "An admirably courageous and devoted officer. On September 29, 1918, the liaison between the advance post of command of his regiement and that of the attacking battalion haveing been cut by enemy patrols armed with machine guns, he took command of a group of two officers and ten men for the purpose of reestablishing the communications. Coming face to face with the enemy detachments he advanced several times in front of his group, killing several adversaries with his revolver and endeavoring to discover the locations of the others, until he was severely wounded." He was also awarded the Italian Croce di Guerra.

LTC Smith's obituary states that in addition to his service in the Spanish American war in Cuba he also went to the Philippines with Company D.

It goes on to say, "At the close of that war he re-enlisted and was appointed lieutenant in the 36th volunteers and has been in the regular army since. He was stationed in Alaska for some time and for four years was quartermaster at Ft. Slocum, New York. He leave a wife, son, daugher and mother, now quartered at Portland, Oregon; a sister, Dr. Cora Smith-King of Washington, D.C.; two brothers, Capt. Wynn W. Smith of Camp Custer, Mich., and W. B. Smith of Devils Lake-Greenwood.

"Col [sic] Smith is a son of the late Col E. Smith of Bartlett, coming to the state with his parents in 1880. He graduated from the North Dakota university, and prior to the Spanish-American war assisted his father in the management of a general store at Bartlett and the Minco Vallley farm."

Fred E Smith