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George Smith [2003]

Veterans History Project Service Summary:

  • War or Conflict: World War, 1939-1945
  • Branch of Service: Marine Corps
  • Unit of Service: 4th Marine Division
  • Location of Service: Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands); Tinian (Northern Mariana Islands); Guam (Mariana Islands); Okinawa Island (Ryukyu Islands); Hawaii; Pacific Theater
  • Highest Rank: Corporal
  • Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/54880

View full service history

"The medicine man told us 'when you get back, we'll wash this off of you--if you come back.'" (Video interview, 16:02)

George Smith, from Gallup, New Mexico, enlisted in the Marine Corps together with his younger brother Albert (AFC/2001/001/60091) in early 1943. Before he left home, Smith's family arranged for a traditional Navajo protection ceremony to be performed for him and his brother, a ceremony which Smith credits with keeping him safe from harm. After completing training, Smith was assigned to the 10th Marine Regiment - the artillery regiment for the 2nd Marine Division. Smith's first experience of combat came during the Battle of Saipan, from where he maintained painful recollections of seeing dead Marines on the beach when he landed, and coming under heavy Japanese artillery fire while working as a wireman in the 10th Marines gun positions. Smith also held happier memories from his time on Saipan - after the island was secured he was able to see both his older brother Ray, who was there with the Army's 27th Infantry Division, and his younger brother Albert, who was there as a Code Talker assigned to the 4th Marine Division.

Interview / Recording

About this Item

Title

  • George Smith Collection

Names

  • Chalmers Ford, Don
  • Smith, George
  • Navajo Code Talker's Project
  • Fleming, Carol Ellison
  • Salomon, Warren C.

Home State

  • New Mexico

Headings

  • -  Smith, George
  • -  World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal Narratives
  • -  United States. Marine Corps.

Form

  • DVD

Extent

  • 1 item

Repository

  • Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Gender

  • Male

Status

  • veteran

Service History

  • World War, 1939-1945

    • Branch of Service: Marine Corps
    • Unit of Service: 4th Marine Division
    • Location of Service: Saipan (Northern Mariana Islands); Tinian (Northern Mariana Islands); Guam (Mariana Islands); Okinawa Island (Ryukyu Islands); Hawaii; Pacific Theater
    • Highest Rank: Corporal
    • Dates of Service: 1943-1946
    • Military Status: veteran
    • Service History Note: The veteran was a Navajo Code Talker.

Materials

  • Video: DVD [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected 2003-11-04; 2004-05-05)

Collection Number

  • AFC/2001/001/54880

Cite as

  • George Smith Collection (AFC/2001/001/54880), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress

Online Format

  • image
  • video

Additional Metadata Formats

Rights & Access

Using VHP Material in Publication or Exhibition

The Veterans History Project (VHP) at the Library of Congress collects, preserves and makes accessible the firsthand recollections of U.S. military veterans who served from World War I through more recent conflicts and peacekeeping missions, so that future generations may hear directly from veterans and better understand what they saw, did and felt during their service. The Veterans History Project Collection includes oral histories along with documentary materials such as original letters, diaries, photographs, and memoirs.

Veterans and interviewers contribute these materials to the Library for scholarly and educational purposes, retaining any copyright they may hold. Therefore, permission must be obtained before using the interview or other materials in exhibition or publication. Researchers or others who would like to make further use of these materials should contact the Veterans History Project for assistance.

As a publicly supported institution, the Library generally does not own rights to material in its collections. Therefore, it does not charge permission fees for use of such material and cannot give or deny permission to publish or otherwise distribute material in its collections. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item from the Library’s collections and for securing any necessary permissions rests with persons desiring to use the item.

Please contact us with questions.

Obtaining Copies of VHP Materials

In order for VHP materials to be duplicated, we must receive written permission from the interviewee for you to obtain a copy of the recording unless the proposed use is limited to personal use, research, or other uses permissible by copyright law. If the interviewee is deceased, their next-of-kin may grant written permission.

Please contact VHP for assistance if you need to contact a veteran for permission to use their materials in exhibition or publication, or if you have received permission from the veteran and need access to high-resolution copies of VHP collection materials.

Citing VHP Materials

Please use the following formats when citing Veterans History Project materials (substituting the appropriate name and collection ID number).

Materials as a whole:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Manuscript material:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Memoirs (MS02), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Transcript (MS04), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Correspondence (MS01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Recording:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Audio recording (SR01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Video recording (MV01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Photograph:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Photographs (PH01), photographer unknown, Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.
  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Photographs (PH03-PH14), Ralph Williams photographer, Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Computer file:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Computer file (CF01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Artifact:

  • John P. Snodgrass (AFC 2001/001/[VHP collection]), Artifact (AR01), Veterans History Project Collection, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Chalmers Ford, Don, George Smith, Navajo Code Talker'S Project, Carol Ellison Fleming, and Warren C Salomon. George Smith Collection. 1943. Personal Narrative. https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.54880/.

APA citation style:

Chalmers Ford, D., Smith, G., Navajo Code Talker'S Project, Fleming, C. E. & Salomon, W. C. (1943) George Smith Collection. [Personal Narrative] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.54880/.

MLA citation style:

Chalmers Ford, Don, et al. George Smith Collection. 1943. Personal Narrative. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.54880/>.