Adrian the son of Helen and Wilbur Smith of Miami FL enlisted in the US Marine Corps on August 6, 1968 in Coral Gables FL. He arrived in Vietnam on January 22, 1969 and was assigned to Company M, 3d Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st MARDIV (Rein) FMF.
During the Tet Offensive, first sighting of the enemy occurred at approximately 02:00H when forty NVA were sighted moving northward in the vicinity of the Bo Ban village complex in Hieu Duc District. A short time later a squad in an ambush position engaged the enemy with small arms and M-79 fire. Shortly after this initial contact another squad observed a large enemy force in the vicinity of the Duong Lam village complex and called for an artillery mission on the enemy position. Marines from the third platoon were dispatched to pursue and intercept the enemy, although outnumbered the Marines seized the opportunity of surprise and a ferocious fire fight ensued with the sound of gunfire penetrating the dark night. Additional Marines were dispatched and maneuvering in the darkness the reaction squad penetrated the enemy at mid column finding themselves in the midst of the NVA force and in crossfire. The NVA, counter attacked during the night, unsure of the forces they faced decided to dig in to enable them to weather the storm until an opportune moment for them to break through the Marines. Company K sent a reaction platoon to reinforce Company M, finally managing to break through NVA lines and reach the embattled Marines. The friendly forces were consolidated and began what would be the final thrust against the NVA they had been battling throughout the night and most of the day. PFC Smith was one of the casualties; he was killed in action during the fire fights as a result of hostile rifle fire.
Casualties: Company M
Bennye Warren Cowley
Thomas Harry Crook
Norman Mark Harmon
Calvin Lamar Howell Jr.
Adrian James Smith
Jerry Lewis Taylor
Freddie Leon Tipton
Billy Louis Underwood
Lester William Weber Medal of Honor
Casualties: H&S Company
Attached to Company M
Eugene Joseph Garrity Jr.
During the Tet Offensive, first sighting of the enemy occurred at approximately 02:00H when forty NVA were sighted moving northward in the vicinity of the Bo Ban village complex in Hieu Duc District. A short time later a squad in an ambush position engaged the enemy with small arms and M-79 fire. Shortly after this initial contact another squad observed a large enemy force in the vicinity of the Duong Lam village complex and called for an artillery mission on the enemy position. Marines from the third platoon were dispatched to pursue and intercept the enemy, although outnumbered the Marines seized the opportunity of surprise and a ferocious fire fight ensued with the sound of gunfire penetrating the dark night. Additional Marines were dispatched and maneuvering in the darkness the reaction squad penetrated the enemy at mid column finding themselves in the midst of the NVA force and in crossfire. The NVA, counter attacked during the night, unsure of the forces they faced decided to dig in to enable them to weather the storm until an opportune moment for them to break through the Marines. Company K sent a reaction platoon to reinforce Company M, finally managing to break through NVA lines and reach the embattled Marines. The friendly forces were consolidated and began what would be the final thrust against the NVA they had been battling throughout the night and most of the day. PFC Smith was one of the casualties; he was killed in action during the fire fights as a result of hostile rifle fire.
Casualties: Company M
Bennye Warren Cowley
Thomas Harry Crook
Norman Mark Harmon
Calvin Lamar Howell Jr.
Adrian James Smith
Jerry Lewis Taylor
Freddie Leon Tipton
Billy Louis Underwood
Lester William Weber Medal of Honor
Casualties: H&S Company
Attached to Company M
Eugene Joseph Garrity Jr.
Adrian the son of Helen and Wilbur Smith of Miami FL enlisted in the US Marine Corps on August 6, 1968 in Coral Gables FL. He arrived in Vietnam on January 22, 1969 and was assigned to Company M, 3d Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st MARDIV (Rein) FMF.
During the Tet Offensive, first sighting of the enemy occurred at approximately 02:00H when forty NVA were sighted moving northward in the vicinity of the Bo Ban village complex in Hieu Duc District. A short time later a squad in an ambush position engaged the enemy with small arms and M-79 fire. Shortly after this initial contact another squad observed a large enemy force in the vicinity of the Duong Lam village complex and called for an artillery mission on the enemy position. Marines from the third platoon were dispatched to pursue and intercept the enemy, although outnumbered the Marines seized the opportunity of surprise and a ferocious fire fight ensued with the sound of gunfire penetrating the dark night. Additional Marines were dispatched and maneuvering in the darkness the reaction squad penetrated the enemy at mid column finding themselves in the midst of the NVA force and in crossfire. The NVA, counter attacked during the night, unsure of the forces they faced decided to dig in to enable them to weather the storm until an opportune moment for them to break through the Marines. Company K sent a reaction platoon to reinforce Company M, finally managing to break through NVA lines and reach the embattled Marines. The friendly forces were consolidated and began what would be the final thrust against the NVA they had been battling throughout the night and most of the day. PFC Smith was one of the casualties; he was killed in action during the fire fights as a result of hostile rifle fire.
Casualties: Company M
Bennye Warren Cowley
Thomas Harry Crook
Norman Mark Harmon
Calvin Lamar Howell Jr.
Adrian James Smith
Jerry Lewis Taylor
Freddie Leon Tipton
Billy Louis Underwood
Lester William Weber Medal of Honor
Casualties: H&S Company
Attached to Company M
Eugene Joseph Garrity Jr.
During the Tet Offensive, first sighting of the enemy occurred at approximately 02:00H when forty NVA were sighted moving northward in the vicinity of the Bo Ban village complex in Hieu Duc District. A short time later a squad in an ambush position engaged the enemy with small arms and M-79 fire. Shortly after this initial contact another squad observed a large enemy force in the vicinity of the Duong Lam village complex and called for an artillery mission on the enemy position. Marines from the third platoon were dispatched to pursue and intercept the enemy, although outnumbered the Marines seized the opportunity of surprise and a ferocious fire fight ensued with the sound of gunfire penetrating the dark night. Additional Marines were dispatched and maneuvering in the darkness the reaction squad penetrated the enemy at mid column finding themselves in the midst of the NVA force and in crossfire. The NVA, counter attacked during the night, unsure of the forces they faced decided to dig in to enable them to weather the storm until an opportune moment for them to break through the Marines. Company K sent a reaction platoon to reinforce Company M, finally managing to break through NVA lines and reach the embattled Marines. The friendly forces were consolidated and began what would be the final thrust against the NVA they had been battling throughout the night and most of the day. PFC Smith was one of the casualties; he was killed in action during the fire fights as a result of hostile rifle fire.
Casualties: Company M
Bennye Warren Cowley
Thomas Harry Crook
Norman Mark Harmon
Calvin Lamar Howell Jr.
Adrian James Smith
Jerry Lewis Taylor
Freddie Leon Tipton
Billy Louis Underwood
Lester William Weber Medal of Honor
Casualties: H&S Company
Attached to Company M
Eugene Joseph Garrity Jr.
Gravesite Details
PFC USMC
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Records on Ancestry
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
