Duncan C. Smith, Jr.
Biography: Duncan Calhoun Smith, Jr., “Dick”, was born June 16, 1918, in Savannah, Georgia. He was the son of Duncan Calhoun Smith Sr. and Clennie Cooper and graduated from local schools. He then worked a number of different jobs, including as a filling station attendant, an insurance salesman and as indicated by his discharge, a grocery store sales clerk.
Service Time: Dick entered the service on September 16, 1941, at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. After his basic training, he was assigned to Headquarters Company of the 701st Tank Destroyer Battalion and functioned as a radio operator. After their training in the U.S., the unit shipped out from the New York port on May 31, 1942. They arrived at Belfast, Northern Ireland, on June 11, 1942, and portions of the unit, Companies B and C, along with one platoon of Recon Company, participated in the Operation Torch landings on November 8th, near Oran, Algeria. They advanced toward Tunisia beginning on November 16th and the rest of battalion reached North Africa on December 10th. During actions in Tunisia, the 701st was usually attached to the 1st Armored or 1st Infantry Divisions, and saw action in El Guettar, Faid Pass, Sidi Bou Zid, Sbeitla, Hill 609, and Mateur.
They shipped to Italy in October, 1943, and entered the line in the Pagnataro area. Their tank destroyers operated largely as artillery and for much of early 1944, the battalion was attached to II or VI Corps in the Cassino sector. They then shipped to the Anzio beachhead in February, 1944, and supported the 1st Armored Division during the breakout in late May. The unit entered Rome on June 4th and then pushed north to the Arno River, crossing on September 1st. They reached the Florence area and spent the winter training and firing artillery missions and supported the 10th Mountain Division drive into the Po River valley in April 1945, finally entering Verona on April 26th. By the end of the war, newspaper reports indicate that Dick was deemed essential and was assigned to a school near Rome where he was teaching radio.
Dick received credit for five campaigns including Tunisia, Naples-Foggia, Rome-Arno, North Apennines, and the Po Valley. He was awarded the EAME, the American Defense and Good Conduct medals. He shipped home on August 14th and arrived back in the U.S. on the 22nd, leaving the service at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, at the rank of Technician 4th Grade.
On November 21, 1945, Dick married the former Ruth Elizabeth Beach, “Libby”, who was born in Walterboro, South Carolina, and was the daughter of Raymond Beach and Ruth Alma Breland. The new couple would make their home in North Charleston, SC and had a son, Richard, born in 1951. Dick worked for the American Tobacco Company of Charleston, SC. He passed away on February 25, 1960, and was buried in the Bethany Cemetery in Charleston, SC. I want to thank Dick’s granddaughter, Lisa, for providing the information and photos used in this tribute.
