Sergeant Smith was a member of the 3rd Platoon, Company H, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division. He was Killed in Action while fighting the enemy at "Outpost Hedy", near Sogong-ni, Korea on 20 March 1953, from shell fragments.

Smith was awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat Action Ribbon, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.