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Lieutenant John Sylvester Smith

BRUCE, COOK, RUSH, SMITH, UTSLER, WEAVER

Posted By: Treva Patterson
Date: 5/3/2006 at 09:03:44

The Winterset Madisonian
Winterset, Iowa
Wednesday, August 5, 1942

ARMY FLYER FROM WINTERSET KILLED IN FIGHTER PLANE CRASH

Lieut. John Smith, Age 21, Spent Furlough Here Last Month

Lieut. John S. Smith, whose home address was Winterset, was killed in the flaming crash of his single-seater army fighting plane Monday night near Woodbury, N.J.

Official notice of the death was received her Tuesday by Mrs. Nora Smith of Winterset, mother of the 21-year-old officer.

This is the first known death of any Madison county resident in the armed services during the present war.

Lieutenant Smith had graduated from the advanced army air school at Kelly Field, Tex. on July 2, receiving his wings and commission at that time. He came to Winterset immediately and spent a week here visiting his mother, before proceeding to the east coast to start active duty as a fighter plane pilot. He was on a routine training flight when the fatal accident occurred.

Lieutenant Smith was born in Madison county, the son of Elijah and Nora Smith. When he was a small boy the family moved to a farm near Winterset. They lived in the Buffalo neighborhood, just south of town, and in several other neighborhoods near here. He attended the Buffalo school just south of Winterset and graduated from eighth grade here.

The family later moved to Indianola, where he graduated from high school. He then entered the University of Oklahoma and when in his junior year at that school he enlisted in the army air corps last fall.

He is survived by his parents Mrs. Nora Smith of Winterset and Elijah Smith of New Virginia, and six sisters and brothers, Mrs. Lillian Rush of Seattle, Wash., Lloyd and Leonard Smith of Sheffield, Mrs. Myrle Bruce and Mrs. Lela Utsler of Chicago and Sgt. James B. Smith of Camp Sutton, N.C.

Funeral services will be held from the Anderson home for funerals in Winterset, and burial will be made in the Winterset cemetery.
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The Winterset Madisonian
Winterset, Iowa
Wednesday, August 12, 1942
Page 1

Flyer Buried Sunday with Military Honors
Winterset's First Military Service
Additional Information is Received Concerning Fatal Crash

Winterset's first military funeral of the present war was held here Sunday when Lieut. John S. Smith, victim of an army plane crash in new Jersey, was buried with military honors in the Winterset cemetery.

A large crowd of friends and relatives of the young army flyer gathered to pay their respects to his memory. An escort from Green-Rogers post of the American legion participated. The rites were in charge of the Revs. Reed Kessler and Rudolph Covey, and were held from the Anderson home for funerals.

Additional details of the fatal accident, which occurred near Woodbury, N. J., on Aug. 3, were received her this week. Lieutenant Smith was piloting a single seat ship on a routine training flight. He and the pilot of another similar plan were practicing power dives from a height of about 7.000 feet. Lieutenant Smith's plane failed to come out of one of the dives and struck the ground with such force as to bury itself. It immediately burst into flames.

Although army officials said they would not be able to learn the cause of the crash until their investigations had been completed, witnesses expressed the opinion that the flyer had "blacked out", that is, lost consciousness because of the speed of the dive, and did not recover is [in] time to pull his plane up.

The out of town relatives and friends who were here Sunday to attend the funeral services of Lieut. John Smith were as follows Sgt. James B. Smith of Camp Sutton, North Carolina; Miss Ruby Morris of Hollis, Okla.; J. M. Cook, I. J. Cook and son Dennis, Doyle Snyder, Mrs. Jake Stanford, Mrs. Sam Walls, Mrs Joe Ellis and daughter, Nilda, Miss Selma Culwell, William Hodson, all of Snyder, Okla., Mrs. Ben Wallis of Indiahoma, Okla., Mr and Mrs Leslie P. Bruce, Mrs. Lela Utsler, and Miss Lema Weaver of Chicago, Ill., Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Smith, Lloyd Smith, Mr. and Mrs. Dallas Bonjour, of Sheffield, la.; Mr. and Mrs. Charles Weaver, of Ames; Mr. and Mrs. Calvin Weaver of Omaha, Neb.; Mr and Mrs Ralph Smith of Creston, Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Stuart, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Weeks and son Lloyd, Mr. and Mrs. Murl Weeks, Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Hammer, Mr. and Mrs. Ivyl Russell and son Donald, Mr. and Mrs. Rayman Stuart and daughter, Evelyn, C. J. Stuart, Carl Weeks, and Bill Askern all of new Virginia, and Mrs. Ida James of Des Moines.
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The Winterset News
Winterset, Iowa
Thursday, August 13, 1942

Lieutenant John S. Smith was born in Madison county, Iowa, January 10, 1921. At the time of his death he was 21 years, 6 months, and 24 days of age.

His boyhood was spent on farms near Winterset. During the winter of 1935 he accepted Christ as his Savior in a revival held near New Virginia. John's entire high school was spent in Indianola, where he graduated in 1938. Following his graduation he went to Oklahoma where he entered Southwestern State college at Weatherford.

Later continuing at the University of Oklahoma at Norman. Entering his training there he received his first pilots license. As a volunteer he started his service at Kelley Field, Texas. From there he was sent to aeronautic School at Sikeston, Missouri. His training was finished at Randolf and Kelly Fields San Antonio, Texas. John received his wings July 3 and was commissioned Second Lieutenant of the U S Army Air Corps. At this time he was granted a fifteen day furlough which he spent visiting his mother at Winterset, also friends in Oklahoma. He reported at Philadelphia July 18 as a pursuit plane flyer. He was piloting one of the speediest pursuit planes in a training flight Monday, August 3, when his plane crashed in a field near Woodbury, New Jersey, causing his death.

He leaves to mourn his death his parents, Mrs Nora B. Smith of Winterset and Elijah S. Smith of New Virginia. Three sisters, Mrs. Carl Rush of Washington, Mrs. Lela Utsler and Mrs. Leslie P. Bruce, both of Chicago, Illinois; three brothers, Sargeant James B. Smith, Camp Sultan, North Carolina; Leonard and Loyd [Lloyd] Smith, both of Sheffield, Iowa. Miss Ruby Morris, his fiance from Hollis, Oklahoma, and many friends wherever he was known. His buddy, Lieutenant Joseph Shorber accompanied his body as an escort.

Funeral services were in charge of the Anderson service and conducted by Rev. Reed Kessler assisted by Rev. Rudolph Covey. Two beautiful hymns were sung by Verle Flood.

Military rites were performed by Green-Rogers Post American legion and casket bearers were: Dales Stanley, Glen Stanley, Lloyd Weeks, Merle Utsler, Russell Rush and Walter Beetle.
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Coordinator's note: Middle name taken from Madison County Birth Record.

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Madison Obituaries maintained by Linda Griffith Smith.
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