Ernest
flew as Radar Observer with Crew 21 on "Two Passes
and a Crap" and with Replacement" Crew 21
on "Renegade". Which was made up of members
of the original crew who continued to fly after their
ditching on 14 May 1945 - Nagoya Mission and replacements
for those who were killed or chose not to continue
flying. Smith was not on the Nagoya mission - he was
in the hospital on Guam having a cyst removed from
his tailbone - fortunate for him - his replacement
was killed when the plane hit the water.
During
his WWII service he earned the Distinguished Flying
Cross, the Air Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster, the
Distinguished Unit Citation with 1 Oak Left Cluster,
the American Campaign Medal, The Asiatic Pacific Theater
Ribbon with bronze service star, and the WWII Victory
Medal.
He
departed the Marianas for the US on 27 Oct 1945, arriving
1 Nov. 1945 and was discharged from active duty 7
Dec 1945 at Fort Devens, MA.
After
discharge he joined the Hartford Electric Light Co.
"Ernie"
met and married his wife Jean.
They have
five grown children, 12 grandchildren (one deceased)
and 6 great grandchildren.
In
the early 50s he entered with his parents into a family
motel business in Vermont.
He
was invited to join the Vermont Air National Guard
and enjoyed the time he spent there.
Around
1960 he and his family were off to Florida where Ernie
worked at Pratt & Whitney Research & Development.
This was the heyday of NASA. While in Florida his
fifth child was born.
They
moved to British Columbia, Canada in 1967. Ernie was
stationary engineer at what was then the largest lumber
mill in the world.