August 5, 1920 – November 18, 2014
Jack Davis Smawley was a dedicated American soldier whose service spanned two of the most defining conflicts of the 20th century –World War II and the Korean War. Born and raised in a small Pennsylvania town, Smawley embodied the values of duty, courage, and perseverance that defined the “Greatest Generation” by serving in North Africa and England.
After the War, Smawley finished college under the GI Bill and earned two master’s degrees. he was at a family picnic when new broke on the radio about the start of the Korean War. Smawley was called up and returned to service in Korea. Like others, Smawley fought through extreme winter conditions, when freezing weather jammed artillery carbines and mittens made firing small arms clumsy and difficult. Smawley persevered, and for three weeks he served as an artillery support officer with an Ethiopian Brigade.
Of his time in Korea, Smawley said “Fear is controlled by determination to accomplish the assigned mission.”