Floyd R Smith Biography

Private Floyd R. Smith

World War II

US Marine Corps
Company A, 1st Battalion, 8 Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division
Service Number:
Born: July 16, 1922
Inducted: October 2, 1942
Killed in action November 20, 1943 on Tarawa
Buried: October 1947, Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery, Kansas

Purple Heart

Son of Guy and Anna (Craig) Smith of Cope.

Floyd Smith Stone

Thursday January 6, 1944 The Akron News-Reporter

Word was received last week by Mr. and Mrs. Guy Smith that their only son, Floyd, has been killed in action, somewhere in the South Pacific. The date and place of his death were withheld, but will be released at a later date, no doubt.

Floyd Smith, only son of Mr. and Mrs. Guy Smith, who reside south of Cope, was born July 16, 1922 and was 211/2 years of age at the time of his death.

He enlisted in the marine corps October 2, 1942, received his boot training at San Diego, and at the end of that six weeks period, was sent across with a replacement battalion.

He is survived by his parents and three sisters, Mrs. Grace Wilson, Mrs. Ethel Miller and Mrs Vera Spencer.

1947 Newspaper Article

Cope Marine Killed in the Pacific: Floyd Smith

Mr. and Mrs. Guy Smith of Cope received the sad news Thurs., December 24, 1943, in a telegram from the War Department that their son Floyd had lost his life in performing his duty in the service of his country in the South Pacific war area. He was a member of the United States Marine Corps that saw so much action in the South Pacific and was killed during the invasion of Tarawa on November 20, 1943.

Floyd Smith, deceased war hero whose body was returned to this country for burial, represented Colorado at a beautiful honorary memorial service held in Kansas City Memorial Hall on Sunday, October 19, 1947. His body lay in state along with one from each of the other states of Kansas, South Dakota, North Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri. The military escorts that accompanied each casket to its final resting place stood at attention by the side of each casket during the services and each casket was covered with an American Flag.

The mayor of Kansas City introduced ministers of each faith to the audience and each gave a talk. They were followed by the head of the Boy Scouts of Missouri who gave a wonderful talk. After the services, the personal representative of the governors of each of the eight states placed a wreath by each casket and a gold star mother from each state also placed wreaths. Taps was sounded to end the service and a firing squad fired three volleys over the group.

Funeral services for Floyd were held last Thursday morning at Leavenworth, Kansas, at ten o'clock in the morning. There his body found its final resting place after the long journey home from the battle field. The chaplain said a prayer at the grave and the Marine escort, who had accompanied the body home, presented the flag on the casket to Mrs. Guy Smith, mother of Floyd. Later they will send her the wreaths presented by the governor and the gold star mother at the memorial service.

Relatives of Floyd who attended the services and funeral were Mr. and Mrs. Guy Smith, his parents, Mrs. M.O. Smith, his grandmother, Mr. and Mrs. Burl Miller, Mrs. and Mrs. Harold Wilson and Mr. and Mrs. Way Spencer, the latter three ladies being sisters of Floyd.

Floyd was born July 16, 1922 to Mr. and Mrs. Guy Smith eleven miles southwest of Cope. He attended a one room rural school which was called the Fremont school for the first 8 years of his schooling, then went to Cope high school for 3 years.

He spent his entire life until he enlisted in the US Marines helping his father farm on the farm where he was born. He was the youngest child and the only boy of the family.