Peter Paul Smith
December 17, 1947 – October 27, 2022
United States Army, Retired
Peter was born to John Stanley Smith and Valeria T. Smith [Brazinskas] in Gardner, MA. After graduating with the awesome class of ’65 from Gardner High School, he attended the University of Massachusetts in Amherst and Kings Point Merchant Marine Academy in New York before joining the U.S. Army in 1967. He served with the 9th Infantry Division in Bear Cat and Dong Tam, South Vietnam in 1968 with fellow high school classmate, Fred Lepkowski.
Future assignments with the Army’s Special Security Group took him to Bangkok, Thailand supporting JUSMAGTHAI and the U.S. Embassies in Bangkok and Phnom Penh, Cambodia; to Frankfurt, Germany supporting 5th Corps and the American Consulate; to Bad Kreuznach, Germany where he, his team and Maj. Hal Youd opened up the first Special Security Office [SSO] at division level in Europe; to the Pentagon, home base of the USASSG, ACSI; and lastly to Seoul, South Korea in support of the U.S. Eighth Army.
He also had one assignment with QATEC at Ft. Huachuca, Arizona working for a great First Shirt, Joe Lookabaugh and one assignment with the 41st Signal Battalion under the command of LTC Chesser in Seoul, South Korea.
His most cherished assignment was with the U.S. Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty I delegation when the treaty was signed in Helsinki, Finland.
He would like to send special prayers to all Air America pilots and crews as thanks for a lift to Vientiane, Laos [The Purple Porpoise was a remarkable hangout] and to all of the chopper pilots who flew in and around South Vietnam.
After his military service, he received a Masters of Education degree from the University of Arizona and taught for 17 years at Elgin Elementary School in Elgin, Arizona.
He asks that everyone pray for all of the teachers in Arizona and that better support be provided to all of the schools.
He is survived by his wife Soonja Lee Smith, son Kelly Keane Smith, godson Dr. David Paul Smith of Chicago, and Cathy Smith of Hadley, Massachusetts.
Dear God, please let the energy of his soul be able to recognize his loved ones and you.
Per his wishes, he was cremated. His funeral service was held on Thursday, November 3, 2022 at the Hatfield Funeral Home in Sierra Vista. Immediately following services there was a committal service with military honors on Post Cemetery, located on Ft. Huachuca.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Warrior Healing Center in his name.