World War II Medal of Honor Recipient. He received the award from US Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson on July 16, 1943 for his actions as a staff sergeant in the 423rd Bombardment Squadron, 306th Bombardment Group (H), 8th Air Force, US Army Air Forces on May 1, 1943 in the skies near Brest, France during World War II. He was the first enlisted US Army airman to receive the award. After being drafted in the US Army in 1942, he volunteered for aerial gunnery school with the US Army Air Forces. Following his training he was sent to an aircraft bomber base at Thurleigh, Bedfordshire, England. Short in stature (he was only five feet four inches tall) he was nicknamed "Snuffy" from the comic strip "Barney Google and Snuffy Smith" because of his obnoxious and belligerent attitude and frequently found himself in trouble. On May 1, 1943 he flew his first combat mission as the ball gun turret operator on a B-17 Flying Fortress aircraft on a bombing run with other B-17 aircraft, targeting the U-Boat pens at Saint-Nazaire in Loire-Atlantique, France. After the mission was completed, his aircraft was attacked by German fighters which did considerable damage, rupturing fuel tanks and igniting a massive fire that severed communications and compromised the integrity of the fuselage. His ball turret gun was disabled and he was able to escape it, and for the next hour and a half, he tended to several of his seriously wounded crew members while manning the aircraft's .50 caliber machine guns and extinguishing the fire. When the aircraft finally landed in England, it broke in half due to the melted fuselage and had been hit with over 3,500 bullets and shrapnel. In March 1945 he returned to the US and was discharged two months later. He died at the age of 72. In addition to the Medal of Honor, he received the Air Medal (with one oak leaf cluster), the Distinguished Unit Citation )with one oak leaf cluster), the American Campaign Medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal (with four service stars), and the World War II Victory Medal. His Medal of Honor citation reads: "For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action above and beyond the call of duty. The aircraft of which Sgt. Smith was a gunner was subjected to intense enemy antiaircraft fire and determined fighter aircraft attacks while returning from a mission over enemy-occupied continental Europe on 1 May 1943. The aircraft was hit several times by antiaircraft fire and cannon shells of the fighter aircraft, 2 of the crew were seriously wounded, the aircraft's oxygen system shot out, and several vital control cables severed when intense fires were ignited simultaneously in the radio compartment and waist sections. The situation became so acute that 3 of the crew bailed out into the comparative safety of the sea. Sgt. Smith, then on his first combat mission, elected to fight the fire by himself, administered first aid to the wounded tail gunner, manned the waist guns, and fought the intense flames alternately. The escaping oxygen fanned the fire to such intense heat that the ammunition in the radio compartment began to explode, the radio, gun mount, and camera were melted, and the compartment completely gutted. Sgt. Smith threw the exploding ammunition overboard, fought the fire until all the firefighting aids were exhausted, manned the workable guns until the enemy fighters were driven away, further administered first aid to his wounded comrade, and then by wrapping himself in protecting cloth, completely extinguished the fire by hand. This soldier's gallantry in action, undaunted bravery, and loyalty to his aircraft and fellow crewmembers, without regard for his own personal safety, is an inspiration to the U.S. Armed Forces."