Donavon F. Smith

Donavon F. Smith (HM1AQ2)

Location: Niles, MI 49120 Berrien County
Buy Michigan State flags at Flagstore.com!
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com!

N 41° 49.609', W 86° 14.782'

  • 0 likes
  • 0 check ins
  • 0 favorites
  • 561 views
Inscription

Lieutenant General USAF

— 1922 - 1974 —

This Veterans Memorial Park is named in honor of Donavon F. Smith, Lt. General, USAF. General Smith graduated from Niles High School in 1940. After flight training, he was assigned to the 56th Fighter Group in England where he flew 123 combat missions in a P-47 "Thunderbolt" aircraft. General Smith became a fighter Ace when he show down his 5th enemy aircraft, three of these occurring in a single mission over Germany, 11 December 1943. His military career spanned 32 years with combat in World War II and as chief advisor to the Republic of Vietnam Air Force in the Vietnamese conflict.

His body now rests in the United States Air Force Academy in the foothills of the Rockies.

(Metal Tablet)
General Smith served in a variety of vital Air Force assignments that included tours with Headquarters U.S. Air Force; Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe; Strategic Air Command; and the Air Defense Command. He also served as commander of the Alaskan Air Command and the Sixth Allied Tactical Air Force, Turkey. His military decorations and awards included the Distinguished Service Cross, the Distinguished Service Medal with One Oak Leaf Cluster, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross with Three Oak Leaf Clusters, Air Medal with Eight Oak Leaf Clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal and Distinguished Unit Citation Emblem with One Oak Leaf Cluster. The Republic of Vietnam awarded him with the National Order of Vietnam, Fourth Class; Air Force Distinguished Service Order, First Class; Staff Service Medal, First Class; Flight Honor Certificate with Wings; and the Chuong My Medal.
Details
HM NumberHM1AQ2
Tags
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Sunday, September 14th, 2014 at 4:14am PDT -07:00
Pictures
Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)16T E 562583 N 4630822
Decimal Degrees41.82681667, -86.24636667
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 41° 49.609', W 86° 14.782'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds41° 49' 36.54" N, 86° 14' 46.92" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)269
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 1100-1198 E Main St, Niles MI 49120, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.

Nearby Markersshow on map
Check Ins  check in   |    all

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.

Comments 0 comments

Maintenance Issues
  1. Is this marker part of a series?
  2. What historical period does the marker represent?
  3. What historical place does the marker represent?
  4. What type of marker is it?
  5. What class is the marker?
  6. What style is the marker?
  7. Does the marker have a number?
  8. What year was the marker erected?
  9. Who or what organization placed the marker?
  10. This marker needs at least one picture.
  11. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  12. Is the marker in the median?
© 2024  Historical Marker Project.  All Rights Reserved.
All registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
HMP is owned and operated by 3RiverDev (Fort Wayne, Indiana).
Terms and Conditions   |   Privacy Policy   |   Disclaimers   |   About   |   Contact Us