Service No. #289521

Entered the Service from: Missouri

Awards: Purple Heart

U.S., World War II Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Casualties, 1941-1945, lists his Next of Kin's Home of Record as Mother: Mrs. Eleanor Smith; Coldwater, Kansas.

Smith enlisted in the Marines on July 29, 1940; he was sent to MCRD San Diego for boot camp. After completing additional training, Smith was rated as "musician" and in November 1940 was aboard the fleet carrier USS Lexington as one of the Marine detachment's buglers. Smith made corporal in 1941 and, when not performing bugle calls, had a duty station as a sight setter on five-inch Gun #2 in the Second Antiaircraft Battery. He sailed across the Pacific with the Lexington and fought in the battle of the Coral Sea. On the morning of May 8, Corporal Smith was at his gun position when Japanese planes discovered the American carrier. With her air power striking at the Japanese fleet, the Lexington was at a serious disadvantage, and her antiaircraft gunners worked overtime to try and drive off the attack. Shortly after 1100 hours, Smith's gun gallery was struck by two torpedoes and a bomb within seconds, killing several of the Marines and wounding many more as an ammunition locker exploded behind them. Of the 30 members of the gunnery detachment lost in the sinking of the Lexington, 21 were from the Marine detachment. Field Music Corporal Elwin Smith was one of those lost at sea.

***I would like to thank JimO Find a Grave ID46874118 for adding his photo to this memorial***

***I would like to thank Loren Bender Find a Grave ID47060026 for adding his photo to this memorial***

***I would like to thank Ron Marcotte Find a Grave ID47247691 for adding his photo and information to this memorial***

***I would like to thank Geoffrey Roecker Find A Grave ID 47006169 for adding his photo of Elwin to this memorial***