Stan was my oldest male cousin. He was the oldest son of my uncle Vernon and wife Marie Smith. Vernon was my mother's oldest brother and resided on Linn Street in Marshalltown, Iowa.
Stanley Richard Smith was born August 3, 1937 and died May 11, 1968. He was a major in the United States Marine Corps and had returned to Vietnam for a second tour of duty when the jeep in was riding in hit a land mine and cost him his life.
When it happened, I really didn't feel much sadness as I knew that it was what he wanted to do by going back a second time. The difficulty is losing a family member knowing how bright and intelligent he was and without a doubt a bright future ahead. Leaving behind also a loving wife and children, what a waste.
And, yet no matter what our political views are, we must honor and respect those who are willing to give their lives so that the rest of us can live in this great United States of America. Let us never forget them. **See the full profile for Stanley Smith- www.virtualwall.org panel 58E line 026
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