Remembering

Technician Fifth Grade Myles Smith (1918 - 1945)

US Army, WWII, Good Conduct Medal

Remembering - Technician Fifth Grade Myles Smith by Chris Painter

Myles Francis Smith was born November 27, 1913 in Hollywood. Son of George Edward and Laura Emmay Yale Smith. He never married. Myles served in the Army and dedicated his life to working the land on the Smith homestead. He was commonly known as “Uncle Myles”.

Uncle Myles served in the Army during World War II. He was assigned to the 327th Engineering Combat Battalion, Company B. He was awarded the Good Conduct Medal in an Order dated 29 February, 1944, stating: “. . . a Good Conduct Medal is hereby awarded to each of the following named enlisted men of this command. This award is made in recognition of the fidelity which they have demonstrated through faithful and exact performance of duty, efficiency, and behavior worthy of emulation.”

Uncle Myles was often seen with children, whether it be riding on the tractor with a child on his knee driving the tractor, or sitting in his chair by the window with children on his lap. He used to recite a jump rope rhyme that went like this:

“Three, six, nine, the goose drank wine, the monkey chewed tobacco on the street car line. The lion choked, the monkey croaked, and they all went to heaven in a little row boat!”

Uncle Myles also made a game for the children to play where there were nails on a board and you would stand back and throw the rings from canning jars at the board and each “ringer” was worth so many points.

Uncle Myles brought the 8mm camera on Christmas when they went from home to home to see what they got for Christmas. It was a very special treat when Uncle Myles would set up the 8mm projector and screen and we would sit in the parlor to watch the many home movies that they made over the years.

There was a huge hickory tree across from the farmhouse. The nuts were gathered and kept in a mesh bag hanging in a spare room upstairs or in the basement. In the winter Uncle Myles would get the nuts out with an anvil and hammer. The children would crack the nuts and eat the meats.

Uncle Myles was also an avid hunter. The Smith homestead in Scattertown provided ample hunting grounds.

Laura Beldin Arndt shared the following: “When Uncle Myles was over seas in World War II he would write and tell about places he was in. One was Nancy, France. At Christmas time he had Aunt Dora get me a doll and he payed for it. I guess you know he had three of us that were his favorites; Bud (Uncle Charlie’s son), Bud (Uncle Lloyd’s son) and me. When I got married he came down to visit and brought me a pretty dish. Aunt Dora was with him. He used to let us play in the hay and grandma always yelled to keep the kids out of the barn that we might get hurt, but he would let us play there anyway.”

Myles Francis Smith passed away on February 1, 1977 at the Maple Avenue Hospital in DuBois, Pennsylvania. He is laid to rest in Gardner Hill 

Cemetery, Elk Co., Pennsylvania.

Lest We Forget…