This Military Service Page was created/owned by
Pamela LaVerne Jeans-Historian
to remember
Marine Col Paul Joseph Smith, Jr..
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Contact Info
Home Town Springfield
Last Address Loretto Road Springfield, KY
Date of Passing Aug 17, 2016
Location of Interment Saint Rose Cemetery - Springfield, Kentucky
Official Badges
Unofficial Badges
Additional Information
Last Known Activity:
He was born in Springfield, Ohio, Sept. 28, 1939, the second of three sons of Paul J. and Dorothy D. Smith. He was raised from the age of three by an aunt, Alice Smith Riesenbeck. He attended Catholic Central High School and subsequently graduated from Roger Bacon High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. He attended the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis and later was named the Marine Corps honor graduate from the University of Louisville, with a Bachelor of Science degree in physics. Following his commissioning as a Second Lieutenant, he served in various assignments throughout the world, including Virginia, the Carolinas, California, Hawaii, Japan, Okinawa, Korea, Vietnam, the Philippines and in the Mediterranean and Caribbean seas. He attended the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, and was awarded a Master of Science degree in operations research and systems analysis. He commanded numerous Marine Corps units including the 1st Combat Engineer Battalions and was instrumental in the formation of the Maritime Pre-positioning Force concept. Upon retirement in 1988 he operated a consulting business and Kalarama Llamas in partnership with his wife. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Norma Jean Hamilton Smith of Springfield, KY, a daughter, Susan Annette Smith of Bardstown, two sons, Michael Joseph Smith (Nicolette) of Truckee, California, and Paul Hamilton Smith (Jennifer) of Lexington, KY, four grandchildren and a brother, Michael D. Smith of Cincinnati, Ohio.