Paul Ray Smith and the Warrior Ethos

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the tower, leaving him completely exposed to the enemy forces, has a forward mounted shield had not been equipped on the weapon. Sergeant Smith went through three boxes of

ammunition, firing about 400 rounds of ammunition. The platoon managed to defeat the enemy’s forces, killing about three dozen combatants. Afterwards, Sargent First class Smith’s body was found still in the turret hatch. He had received 13-15 shots to the chest from both the front and the back. However, it was later determined that the fatal shot entered through his neck and exited through his skull, destroying the brain. At the time of death, Sergeant First Class Smith had served for thirteen years, and was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously two years later, which was given to his son David, age of 11. The actions of Sergeant First Class Paul Ray Smith were above the call of duty. His actions distinguish themselves as true acts of gallantry and intrepidity that went above and beyond that of the warrior ethos.

Sergeant Smith’s actions on the battlefield were that of the highest practice of the warrior ethos. Throughout the engagement, there were numerous lulls in the battle. These lulls would have provided an ample opportunity for retreat. However, Smith knew that would have compromised the nearby aid station. Instead, Smith continued to press on, showing that Sergeant Smith would never accept defeat. Even after running out of ammo, Sergeant Smith knew that he could not quit and fall back to a safer position. Instead, he mounted the .50-caliber machine gun, despite it not being equipped with gun shielding. He was doing whatever it took in order to evacuate the wounded and attempt to cover his men while they took care of the enemy. His decision to never quit in the face of overwhelming odds that would have likely ended in death was likely one of the key elements that saved so many. His actions ensured that no fallen comrade would be left behind. In addition, his actions directly saved the lives of several of his men. When the APC was struck by the mortar shell, Sergeant Smith’s first action was to evacuate them along with the rest of the wounded. This is likely what saved the lives of those crewmen. Hid decision to never leave a fallen comrade save the lived of many soldiers that day.