Army CWO Smith was assigned to 5th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment, Giebelstadt, Germany. Killed in a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crash on night training in the Kuwaiti desert. The Kuwaiti military said sandstorms and high winds were reported in the area at the time the chopper went down. John attended the University of Utah, majoring in psychology. He had wanted to become a commercial pilot, and saw the military as a way to achieve his goal. He started out as a fixed-wing pilot before flying Black Hawks. JD loved mountain and rock climbing. He would rise early on Saturdays to climb in a nearby park, returning home in time to play with his daughters before his wife got up. John was finishing his master's degree in aeronautical science when he quit temporarily to go to Kuwait. He spoke fluent Italian and was a translator for his unit. John is remembered as a practical joker who loved making people smile. Survived by wife, Meredith and two daughters. Deployments included Veneto Rescue, Italy; Atlas Drop, Tunisia; Victory Strike III, Poland; and Enduring Freedom, Kuwait.CW2 US ARMY
Army CWO Smith was assigned to 5th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment, Giebelstadt, Germany. Killed in a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crash on night training in the Kuwaiti desert. The Kuwaiti military said sandstorms and high winds were reported in the area at the time the chopper went down. John attended the University of Utah, majoring in psychology. He had wanted to become a commercial pilot, and saw the military as a way to achieve his goal. He started out as a fixed-wing pilot before flying Black Hawks. JD loved mountain and rock climbing. He would rise early on Saturdays to climb in a nearby park, returning home in time to play with his daughters before his wife got up. John was finishing his master's degree in aeronautical science when he quit temporarily to go to Kuwait. He spoke fluent Italian and was a translator for his unit. John is remembered as a practical joker who loved making people smile. Survived by wife, Meredith and two daughters. Deployments included Veneto Rescue, Italy; Atlas Drop, Tunisia; Victory Strike III, Poland; and Enduring Freedom, Kuwait.CW2 US ARMY
Inscription
J DAREN SMITH
CW2 US ARMY
NOV 3 1970 FEB 24 2003
ARMY OF ONE
WE LOVE YOU DADDY
