The Wall › Panel 17W › Texas › Ralph Mack Smith
RALPH MACK SMITH
Corporal · U.S. Army
May 31, 1948 – October 27, 1969
Service recordRalph Mack Smith, of Colorado City, Texas, served as a Corporal in the U.S. Army. He died on October 27, 1969, in Quang Tin Province, South Vietnam, at age 21. His name is inscribed on Panel 17W, Line 125 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
On the Wall
Panel 17W · Line 125
Names are inscribed in the order of loss, starting at Panel 1E at the apex and ending at Panel 1W. At the Memorial, find the panel number at the base and count down from the top line.
Remember
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Service
- Branch
- U.S. Army
- Rank
- Corporal (CPL)
- Service
- Drafted (Selective Service)
- Occupation
- Infantryman (11B)
- Unit (as recorded)
- 196 LIGHT INF BDE
- Born
- May 31, 1948
- Home of record
- Colorado City, Texas (Mitchell County)
Casualty
- Date of death
- October 27, 1969
- Age
- 21
- Province
- Quang Tin
- Country
- South Vietnam
- Casualty type
- Hostile
- Category
- Killed in Action
- Circumstance
- Explosive Device
Context · from the records
What was happening
12 names on the Wall carry the date October 27, 1969; five of them were lost in Quảng Tín Province. In October 1969, 600 Americans whose names are on the Wall died in the war.
The 196th Light Infantry Brigade, his unit in the record, lost 9 of its members that month.
Also on Panel 17W, Line 125
- CLARKE KEMBLE VICKREYPrivate First Class · October 27, 1969
- JAMES ALAN WILKSSpecialist Four · October 27, 1969
- GEORGE HERMAN AYALASpecialist Four · October 28, 1969
- CHARLES EDWARD BARNICKSpecialist Four · October 28, 1969
Same unit, same day
- THOMAS ALMET ENGELMANCorporal · Panel 17W, Line 123
- MICHAEL GRANT OCONNELLSecond Lieutenant · Panel 17W, Line 124
- CLARKE KEMBLE VICKREYPrivate First Class · Panel 17W, Line 125
- JAMES ALAN WILKSSpecialist Four · Panel 17W, Line 125
From Colorado City
- ROBERT ORLIFF DAVISPrivate First Class · August 12, 1966
- ROBERT WESLEY COOPERSpecialist Four · December 22, 1967
- JAMES GLENN STANDEFERSergeant · February 18, 1968
- MANUEL GODINE MARTINEZSpecialist Four · October 23, 1969
Source. U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Casualty Analysis System, Vietnam Conflict Extract Data File (as of April 29, 2008), Records of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Record Group 330, National Archives (NAID 2240992). Panel and line as recorded in that file. This page presents the official record and its historical context; no biography has been written for him yet. See something wrong? Report a correction.