SMITH, HAROLD VICTOR
Remains Identified 05/2000
Name: Harold Victor Smith
Branch/Rank: United States Air Force/O3
Unit: 469th TFS
Date of Birth: 11 November 1933
Home City of Record: BRIDGEPORT IL
Date of Loss: 07 March 1966
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 195999 North 1052500 East
Status (in 1973): Missing in Action
Category: 3
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: F105D #410
Missions:
Other Personnel in Incident:
Refno: 0266
Source: Compiled by P.O.W. NETWORK from one or more of the following: raw
data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA
families, published sources, interviews and CACCF = Combined Action
Combat Casualty File. Update 2000 with information from Joe Steen. 2020
REMARKS: POSS DEAD
CACCF/CRASH/PILOT/POSTHUMOUS PROMOTION
No further information available at this time.
==================================================
National Alliance of Families
For The Return of America's Missing Servicemen
World War II - Korea - Cold War - Vietnam
Dolores Alfond - 425-881-1499
Lynn O'Shea --- 718-846-4350
Web Site ------- http://www.nationalalliance.org
E-mail ---------- lynnpowmia@prodigy.net
Bits 'N' Pieces May 20, 2000
###############
Remains Identified - From the Associated Press - "WASHINGTON (AP) -- An
Illinois Air Force pilot missing in action from the Vietnam War has been
accounted for and his remains are being returned to his family for burial,
the Pentagon said Wednesday."
"He was identified as Col. Harold V. Smith of Bridgeport, Ill. Smith was
leading a four-aircraft attack against enemy surface-to-air missile sites
in Thanh Hoa Province, North Vietnam, on March 7, 1966, when he disappeared,
the Pentagon said in a statement...."
"...U.S. and Vietnamese investigators interviewed potential witnesses and
searched again in 1993, 1994 and 1995, but neither the crash site nor human
remains were found, the Pentagon said. "
"Then in 1996, the Vietnamese government helped U.S. investigators find an
informant who led them to the burial, which was excavated in August and
September 1998, uncovering human remains and some personal items. Smith was
identified through analysis of the remains and other evidence by the U.S.
Army Central Identification Laboratory Hawaii...."
##############
BODY OF ILLINOISAN RETURNED FROM VIETNAM FOR BURIAL
From Tribune News Services
May 18, 2000
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- An Illinois Air Force pilot missing in action from the
Vietnam War has been accounted for and his remains are being returned to his
family for burial, the Pentagon said Wednesday.
He was identified as Col. Harold V. Smith of Bridgeport, Ill......
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
02/2020
https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt000000sxxI0EAI
On April 14, 2000, Joint Task Force-Full Accounting (JTF-FA, now
DPAA) identified the remains of Colonel Harold Victor Smith,
missing from the Vietnam War.
Colonel Smith entered the U.S. Air Force from Illinois and was a
member of the 469th Tactical Fighter Squadron. On March 7, 1966,
he piloted an F-105D Thunderchief (serial number 62-4410) on a
combat mission over North Vietnam. While engaged with
an enemy target, his aircraft was shot down and he was killed.
His unit initiated recovery efforts following their loss of
communication with Colonel Smith, but these efforts were
unsuccessful. In 1998, the U.S. recovered remains which were
identified as those of Colonel Smith in 2000.
Colonel Smith is memorialized on Courts of the Missing at the
National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
If you are a family member of this serviceman, you may contact your casualty office representative to learn more about your service member.