Fred E. Smith

Who was Fred E. Smith?

Fred Eliphaz Smith was a United States Army officer and a posthumous recipient of the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions in World War I.

Smith was born on March 29, 1873 in Rockford, Illinois. He joined the Army from Bartlett, North Dakota in April 1898. He served in Europe during the war as a lieutenant colonel with the 308th Infantry Regiment, 77th Division. On September 29, 1918, near Binarville, France, Smith showed conspicuous leadership until being mortally wounded. For these actions, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor four years later, on November 25, 1922.