Jack Smith Dies Former ABCNEWS Correspondent Dies at Age 58

ABCNews website ^ | 4-7-04 | (not listed)

[VOA]

(excerpt from the ABC News website article on the passing of Jack Smith,
journalist and Vietnam War Veteran)
"Jack knew how to communicate as few others do and did it with eloquence, wit, and grace.
He made an invaluable contribution to ABCNEWS and we mourn his loss," said ABCNEWS
President David Westin.
....(big snip)...

A highly decorated Vietnam veteran, Smith was awarded both the Bronze Star with "V"
for valor and the Purple Heart. In 1993, he returned to the Vietnam battlefield where
he was nearly killed in 1965, reporting for Nightline and Day One in one of the most
memorable reports ever done on ABCNEWS about the Vietnam War.

He received wide recognition from veterans' groups for his reporting and extensive
speaking about the war and its aftermath.

[VOA]

notice of passing of Jack Smith; announced on ABC radio news,
4-7-04 at 3PM Pac Time on KABC 790AM

[Support Free Republic]

---

	Donate Here By Secure Server Or mail checks to FreeRepublic , LLC PO BOX 9771 FRESNO, CA 93794 or you can use PayPal at Jimrob@psnw.com
STOP BY AND BUMP THE FUNDRAISER THREAD- It is in the breaking news sidebar!

[First_Salute]

God Bless.

[VOA]

AR, I simply posted this for the forum, even though you probably have heard of the
passing of your brother-in-arms.
You might want to ping fellow Vietnam Vets in the forum

I'll also take the liberty of posting a link to the archived thread of Jack Smith's harrowing
battlefield experience. As I've told you before, that remains the single most
concentrated dose of the stress of the battlefield I've ever read.

http://www.FreeRepublic.com/forum/a3b64a7e2508c.htm

[donozark]

He was nicknamed "sandbag Smith" by those who fought along side him in the Ia Drang Valley. His report on that fight was very informative. Still have it on video...

A great loss to all.

[VOA]

His report on that fight was very informative

As a never-served civilian, that report simply horrified and stunned me.
The other interesting side-bar is that it appeared in The Saturday Evening Post
during the Vietnam War.
Noting that (and having been a modestly observant child at the time of the war),
it also gave me heart to know that such a realistic and brutal account would
be openly published while the war was going on.
There probably aren't that many country/cultures where such honesty about the
ugly circumstances would be published...while the war was going on and the
government was trying to assure/increase support for involvement in a conflict.

[VOA]

bump for exposure

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Is there a picture of Smith available ?

[leadpenny]

Sad Ping

[socal_parrot]

Jack Smith...

Kind of looked like his dad.

[leadpenny]

His father, Howard K. Smith, was very proud of him. And I am too.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

I didn't make the connection. Thanks for mentioning it.

[ALOHA RONNIE]

.


...JACK SMITH, warrior still, Pray for us now...

..and for Lt. Gen. HAL G. MOORE's wife JULIE as she now battles Lung Cancer.


.

[ALOHA RONNIE]

.


...One can order a video copy of the ABC News 'DAY ONE' TV Program ...that was taped as JACK SMITH and other fellow Battle of IA DRANG-1965 Veterans returned to that Valley of Death in the Mid-1990's...

...at Lt. Gen. HAL G. MOORE and JOE GALLOWAY's website:


http://www.lzxray.com


...My photos taken in that Valley of Death in 1965 can be seen at:


http://www.lzxray.com/guyer_collection.htm

.

[ALOHA RONNIE]

.

NEVER FORGET that all the time JACK SMITH and his Father, ABC News TV Anchorman HOWARD K. SMITH, were busy bringing us CLARITY during the Vietnam War...

CBS News TV Anchorman WALTER CRONKITE was always busy undercutting their efforts.

.

[ALOHA RONNIE]

.

...After JACK SMITH finished his deeply personal Keynote Speech at last November's IA DRANG Alumni Conference Dinner...

...about his Battle in the IA DRANG Valley and his new one with Pancreatic Cancer...

...he stepped down off the podium.

...After retired Army Chief of Staff Gen. SHINSEKI stood up at the 1st table to congratulate him ...JACK turned away looking directly at me seated there before him at the next table. I looked up deeply into his eyes and warmly said "Thank You."

...With that JACK deeply exhaled, warmly replied "You're welcome" and then pensively bowed his head down looking at the floor for a moment before moving on to his nearby table.

...This was JACK SMITH's personal release after his giving us all a very moving speech.


GOD is GOOD.


Signed:.."ALOHA RONNIE" Guyer / Veteran-"WE WERE SOLDIERS" Battle of IA DRANG-1965 http://www.lzxray.com

.

[First_Salute]

Bump.

[onyx]

BUMP.

[ALOHA RONNIE]

.

...Prayer requests mere made today for Mrs. JULIE MOORE's battle with Lung Cancer on the Judicial Watch Report Talk Radio Show...

...where she guested after Lt. Gen. HAL G. MOORE's "WE WERE SOLDIERS" was released in 2002...

...and on former Congressman BOB DORNAN National Talk Radio Show.

...More to come.


GOD is GOOD.

.

[VOA]

...After JACK SMITH finished his deeply personal Keynote Speech at last November's
IA DRANG Alumni Conference Dinner...

...about his Battle in the IA DRANG Valley and his new one with Pancreatic Cancer...

Pancreatic Cancer - a slower, but generally a surer killer than combat.

Sounds like he was as tough with that killer as he was on the battlefield.

I'll also remember the lesson Jack Smith taught me, even though I never met him:
to be VERY slow to draw judgements.
It certainly shamed me when I found out that this "jouranlist Smith guy" that
delivered what my naive civilian mind viewed as a "liberal" critique about
"going to war" on ABC...
was also the Pvt. 1st Class who had more than earned hiw right to his opinion.

And had the "education" to back up his point of view.