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Dogbert
08-04-2005, 03:29 AM
Today Canada's last surving winner of the VC passed away. Sergeant Ernest Alvia "Smokey" Smith was 91.


OTTAWA (Reuters) - Sergeant Ernest Alvia "Smokey" Smith, Canada's last surviving winner of the Victoria Cross for conspicuous battlefield bravery, died on Wednesday at the age of 91, military officials said.

Smith was a private when he won the Victoria Cross -- the British Commonwealth's top military honor -- during the battle for the Savio River in Italy on Oct. 21 and 22, 1944.

When Smith's unit was attacked by three German tanks, he destroyed one of the vehicles with an anti-tank weapon and then used his submachine gun to drive off enemy infantry.

"His conspicuous bravery, initiative and leadership in the face of enemy fire during World War II inspired fellow Canadians everywhere -- in action and on the home front," Prime Minister Paul Martin said in a statement.

Smith died in the western Canadian city of Vancouver. He is survived by a son and a daughter.

I met him once through cadets too..such a nice guy. :(

Though a funny little side note, he made Cpl. 6 times, and everytime was busted back down to private.

Source (http://ca.today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2005-08-03T191405Z_01_N03519770_RTRIDST_0_NEWS-CANADA-VICTORIACROSS-COL.XML)
75thDeadMan
08-04-2005, 05:00 AM
Nooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!
Homer
08-04-2005, 05:45 AM
VC Winner?
Dogbert
08-04-2005, 05:54 AM
Victoria Cross, the eqvuielent to the Medal of Honour for America.
Homer
08-04-2005, 05:55 AM
awww, that sucks, sorry to hear it.

I had a couple of Canadians on TS and I asked them and they didn't know so I had to make a reply.
Dogbert
08-04-2005, 05:57 AM
Nein problemo :)
Blame Canada
08-04-2005, 09:42 AM
(is silent for one minute)
emery
08-04-2005, 11:00 AM
:( It's such a shame, there's not too many WW2 vets around anymore.
Blame Canada
08-04-2005, 11:30 AM
:( It's such a shame, there's not too many WW2 vets around anymore.

I can only agree... Do any of you know any veterans by the way? ... the closest thing I come to a veteran is my grandfather who hid weapons for the resitance, but that doesn't really count I think.
<SaF>Sgt.S0apy
08-04-2005, 12:54 PM
RIP! he deserves it like all the other soldiers who fought for their country & everybody elses freedom
<SaF>Sgt.S0apy
08-04-2005, 01:00 PM
my gr8 gr8 grandfather was ww1 & ww2 veteran. Cpt.Maltby(got promoted later in the war) died after the 2ndwar. he got 2 MC's fought at the battle of the somme & the dday landings.

another grandfather was a salaior in the pacific fighting japs. ANOTHER grandfather was a driver for the army, proberly driving tanks, or troop carryers n stuff.

i didnt meet any of those 3, tis ashame.
Homer
08-04-2005, 06:21 PM
:( It's such a shame, there's not too many WW2 vets around anymore.


It's really sad knowing that more then 2,500 WW2 Vets die every day. :(
75thDeadMan
08-04-2005, 06:34 PM
no way.
Core433
08-04-2005, 08:10 PM
It's certainly possible. If each day 2500 vets died, then in the past 10 years 9 million vets have died. The Russian military death alone in WWII was 13 million, that's not including the surviving military members, and that tops 9 million by itself. Add in millions of other military vets from all the countries and it's an understandable number.
Homer
08-04-2005, 08:12 PM
A very Sad number at that as well.

It's almost mind boggling.
75thDeadMan
08-04-2005, 08:23 PM
In-fu*king-credable.
Pyke
08-04-2005, 08:28 PM
Indeed a sad, sad number :(
Maniacbob
08-05-2005, 09:25 PM
Tis a sad day indeed
He was a great guy

My grandfather drove trucks in Italy and Netherlands
Said you had to be careful driving the roads in Italy or you'd go over the side of a cliff
Which happened to many drivers and their unfortunate passengers
He never talked about his time in the Netherlands
We figure he was deeply disturbed by what happened there
He passed away before I was born to a heart attack in the middle of the night
Schrem [506th PIR]
08-06-2005, 01:30 AM
oh! Sry for that!

We germans cant really talk about our heroes in WW2....
i was kicked from many forums because im talking good about guys like Wittman or others...
Dogbert
08-06-2005, 04:37 AM
Kicked off forums for talking about Michael Wittman? Thats stupid. He was such a great tank commander its not even funny. Not to mention Hans-Ulrich Rudel. But I suppse thats for another thread ;).
Thanato
08-06-2005, 04:59 AM
My nabourgh was an MP in WW2. Hes 82 i belive. He was with the British military. Served in England tho.

~Thanato