Fort Bliss Monitor

Medal of Honor
El Paso-born Soldier receives highest award posthumouslyrange

U.S. ARMY PUBLIC AFFAIRS

U.S. ARMY PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Sgt. 1st Class Paul Ray Smith received the Medal of Honor posthumously during a White House ceremony April 4. The official citation will be made available after the White House presentation.

The following is the account of Smith’s actions leading up to April 4, 2003, based upon the reports of his unit. These are the circumstances and events of April 4, 2003, that demonstrate Smith’s extraordinary valor and heroism above and beyond the call of duty.

Smith deployed to Iraq as a platoon sergeant in B Company, 11th Engineer Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division. Smith’s unit of combat engineers was in direct support of Task Force 2-7 Infantry. As a part of the 11th Combat Eng. Bn., Soldiers were able to deploy rapidly to a contingency area and provide continuous combat engineer supporrt for mobile combined arms offensive and defense operations.

On April 4, 2003, the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Inf. Div., attacked to seize Objective Lions, the Baghdad International Airport. As part of the brigade scheme of maneuver, Task Force 2-7 Inf. was tasked to establish a blocking position against a brigade-sized counterattack on the main entrance to the airfield. TF 2-7 had been fighting for three consecutive days and had moved through the night before reaching the blocking position.
Morale was high, but Soldiers were experiencing fatigue. B Co., 3rd Bn., 69th Armored Regiment (Knight) was in the east-most position oriented along the main avenue of approach ready for the main enemy counterattack. A Co., 2nd Bn., 7th Infantry Regiment (Rage) was attacking to the southeast of the highway.

The main entrance to the airfield was a four-lane highway with a median to separate incoming and outgoing traffic. Large masonry walls with towers approximately 100 meters apart bound the highway. On the morning of April 4, 2003, more than 100 soldiers from the TF 2-7 Forward Aid Station, mortars, scouts and portions of B Co., 11th Eng. Bn. were in the median behind the forward most blocking positions. The B Co., 11th Eng. Bn. 2nd Plt. leader was on a reconnaissance mission with the B Co., TF 2-7 Infantry commander. During his absence, 2nd Plt. received the mission to construct an enemy prisoner of war holding area. Smith was in charge of 2nd Plt.

Smith assessed the best location to be behind the masonry wall bounding the highway. Two guard towers along the wall were ideally situated to provide overwatch to the holding area. An M9 armored combat earthmover knocked a hole in the wall to create an opening to a large courtyard with a louvered metal gate on the north side. With the help of a squad leader and team leader, Smith checked the far side of the courtyard for enemy, found none, and posted two guards. From the guard post at the gate small groupings of buildings were 100-200 meters to the northeast. To the northwest, a large white building with a white dome was visible. The location seemed perfect as the courtyard was along the northern flank of the blocking position and enemy actions to this point were mostly from the east.

While an engineer squad began to clear debris in the courtyard, one of the guards saw 10-15 enemy soldiers with small arms, 60mm mortars and rocket-propelled grenades. These were the lead elements of an organized company-sized force making a deliberate attack on the flank of TF 2-7. Smith then came to the position and identified 25-50 more soldiers moving into prepared fighting positions.

Smith instructed a squad leader to get a nearby Bradley Fighting Vehicle for support. While waiting for the Bradley, he had members of 2nd Plt. retrieve AT-4 weapons and form a skirmish line outside the gate. By this time, the number of enemy identified rose to 100 soldiers, now a confirmed company-sized attack. Three of B Co.’s M113A3 armored personnel carriers oriented .50-cal. machineguns toward the opening in the wall and the surrounding guard towers, now occupied by enemy soldiers.

Smith’s actions to organize a defense against the deliberate attack were not only effective, but inspired the B Co., 11th Eng. Bn. Soldiers. He then began to lead by example. As the Bradley arrived on site and moved through the hole in the wall toward the gate, Smith ran to the gate wall and threw a fragmentation grenade at the enemy. He then took two Soldiers forward to join the guards and directed their engagement of the enemy with small arms. The enemy continued to fire rifles, RPGs, and 60mm mortars at the Soldiers on the street and within the courtyard. Enemy soldiers began moving along the buildings on the north side of the clearing to get into position to climb into the towers. Smith called for an APC to move forward to provide additional fire support. He then fired an AT-4 at the enemy while directing his fire team assembled near the front line of the engagement area.

Running low on ammunition and having taken RPG hits, the Bradley withdrew to reload. The lead APC in the area received a direct hit from a mortar, wounding the three occupants. The enemy attack was at its strongest point and every action counted. Not only were the wounded Soldiers threatened but also more than 100 Soldiers from B Co., the Task Force Aid Station, and the Mortar Plt. were at risk.

Smith ordered one of his Soldiers to back the damaged APC back into the courtyard after the wounded men had been evacuated. Knowing the APC’s .50-cal. machinegun was the largest weapon between the enemy and the friendly position, Smith immediately assumed the track commander’s position behind the weapon, and told a Soldier who accompanied him to “feed me ammunition whenever you hear the gun get quiet.”

Smith fired on the advancing enemy from the unprotected position atop the APC and expended at least three boxes of ammunition before being mortally wounded by enemy fire. The enemy attack was defeated.

Smith’s actions saved the lives of at least 100 Soldiers, caused the failure of a deliberate enemy attack hours after 1st Bde. seized the Baghdad Airport, and resulted in an estimated 20-50 enemy soldiers killed. His actions inspired his platoon, his company, the 11th Eng. Bn. and TF 2-7 Infantry.

Smith’s actions to lead Soldiers in direct contact with a numerically superior enemy – to personally engage the enemy with a fragmentation grenade, AT-4 and individual weapon, to ultimately assume the track commander’s position to fire the .50-cal. machinegun through at least three boxes of ammunition before being mortally wounded – demonstrates conspicuous gallantry above and beyond the call of duty. His actions prevented a penetration in the TF 2-7 sector, defended the aid station, mortars, and scouts, and allowed the evacuation of Soldiers wounded by indirect enemy fire.



www.bliss.army.mil	Published for the Fort Bliss/El Paso, Texas Community	April 7, 2005

<map name="boxmap-b4"> <area shape="rect" coords="0, 589, 120, 600" href="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm/privacy-policy.html?o=1" > <area coords="0,0,10000,10000" href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=&creative=92501&camp=8117&link_code=dl1&path=subst/misc/amazon-cobrand-cc/v3/marketing-from-associates-step1.html/ref%3Db1_assoc_29" > </map>	Medal of Honor El Paso-born Soldier receives highest award posthumouslyrange U.S. ARMY PUBLIC AFFAIRS U.S. ARMY PUBLIC AFFAIRS Sgt. 1st Class Paul Ray Smith received the Medal of Honor posthumously during a White House ceremony April 4. The official citation will be made available after the White House presentation. The following is the account of Smith’s actions leading up to April 4, 2003, based upon the reports of his unit. These are the circumstances and events of April 4, 2003, that demonstrate Smith’s extraordinary valor and heroism above and beyond the call of duty. Smith deployed to Iraq as a platoon sergeant in B Company, 11th Engineer Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division. Smith’s unit of combat engineers was in direct support of Task Force 2-7 Infantry. As a part of the 11th Combat Eng. Bn., Soldiers were able to deploy rapidly to a contingency area and provide continuous combat engineer supporrt for mobile combined arms offensive and defense operations. On April 4, 2003, the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Inf. Div., attacked to seize Objective Lions, the Baghdad International Airport. As part of the brigade scheme of maneuver, Task Force 2-7 Inf. was tasked to establish a blocking position against a brigade-sized counterattack on the main entrance to the airfield. TF 2-7 had been fighting for three consecutive days and had moved through the night before reaching the blocking position. Morale was high, but Soldiers were experiencing fatigue. B Co., 3rd Bn., 69th Armored Regiment (Knight) was in the east-most position oriented along the main avenue of approach ready for the main enemy counterattack. A Co., 2nd Bn., 7th Infantry Regiment (Rage) was attacking to the southeast of the highway. The main entrance to the airfield was a four-lane highway with a median to separate incoming and outgoing traffic. Large masonry walls with towers approximately 100 meters apart bound the highway. On the morning of April 4, 2003, more than 100 soldiers from the TF 2-7 Forward Aid Station, mortars, scouts and portions of B Co., 11th Eng. Bn. were in the median behind the forward most blocking positions. The B Co., 11th Eng. Bn. 2nd Plt. leader was on a reconnaissance mission with the B Co., TF 2-7 Infantry commander. During his absence, 2nd Plt. received the mission to construct an enemy prisoner of war holding area. Smith was in charge of 2nd Plt. Smith assessed the best location to be behind the masonry wall bounding the highway. Two guard towers along the wall were ideally situated to provide overwatch to the holding area. An M9 armored combat earthmover knocked a hole in the wall to create an opening to a large courtyard with a louvered metal gate on the north side. With the help of a squad leader and team leader, Smith checked the far side of the courtyard for enemy, found none, and posted two guards. From the guard post at the gate small groupings of buildings were 100-200 meters to the northeast. To the northwest, a large white building with a white dome was visible. The location seemed perfect as the courtyard was along the northern flank of the blocking position and enemy actions to this point were mostly from the east. While an engineer squad began to clear debris in the courtyard, one of the guards saw 10-15 enemy soldiers with small arms, 60mm mortars and rocket-propelled grenades. These were the lead elements of an organized company-sized force making a deliberate attack on the flank of TF 2-7. Smith then came to the position and identified 25-50 more soldiers moving into prepared fighting positions. Smith instructed a squad leader to get a nearby Bradley Fighting Vehicle for support. While waiting for the Bradley, he had members of 2nd Plt. retrieve AT-4 weapons and form a skirmish line outside the gate. By this time, the number of enemy identified rose to 100 soldiers, now a confirmed company-sized attack. Three of B Co.’s M113A3 armored personnel carriers oriented .50-cal. machineguns toward the opening in the wall and the surrounding guard towers, now occupied by enemy soldiers. Smith’s actions to organize a defense against the deliberate attack were not only effective, but inspired the B Co., 11th Eng. Bn. Soldiers. He then began to lead by example. As the Bradley arrived on site and moved through the hole in the wall toward the gate, Smith ran to the gate wall and threw a fragmentation grenade at the enemy. He then took two Soldiers forward to join the guards and directed their engagement of the enemy with small arms. The enemy continued to fire rifles, RPGs, and 60mm mortars at the Soldiers on the street and within the courtyard. Enemy soldiers began moving along the buildings on the north side of the clearing to get into position to climb into the towers. Smith called for an APC to move forward to provide additional fire support. He then fired an AT-4 at the enemy while directing his fire team assembled near the front line of the engagement area. Running low on ammunition and having taken RPG hits, the Bradley withdrew to reload. The lead APC in the area received a direct hit from a mortar, wounding the three occupants. The enemy attack was at its strongest point and every action counted. Not only were the wounded Soldiers threatened but also more than 100 Soldiers from B Co., the Task Force Aid Station, and the Mortar Plt. were at risk. Smith ordered one of his Soldiers to back the damaged APC back into the courtyard after the wounded men had been evacuated. Knowing the APC’s .50-cal. machinegun was the largest weapon between the enemy and the friendly position, Smith immediately assumed the track commander’s position behind the weapon, and told a Soldier who accompanied him to “feed me ammunition whenever you hear the gun get quiet.” Smith fired on the advancing enemy from the unprotected position atop the APC and expended at least three boxes of ammunition before being mortally wounded by enemy fire. The enemy attack was defeated. Smith’s actions saved the lives of at least 100 Soldiers, caused the failure of a deliberate enemy attack hours after 1st Bde. seized the Baghdad Airport, and resulted in an estimated 20-50 enemy soldiers killed. His actions inspired his platoon, his company, the 11th Eng. Bn. and TF 2-7 Infantry. Smith’s actions to lead Soldiers in direct contact with a numerically superior enemy – to personally engage the enemy with a fragmentation grenade, AT-4 and individual weapon, to ultimately assume the track commander’s position to fire the .50-cal. machinegun through at least three boxes of ammunition before being mortally wounded – demonstrates conspicuous gallantry above and beyond the call of duty. His actions prevented a penetration in the TF 2-7 sector, defended the aid station, mortars, and scouts, and allowed the evacuation of Soldiers wounded by indirect enemy fire.