A1 Smith was truly a humble hero, not one to draw attention to himself. His parents didn’t learn of his award for over a month after it happened. When A1 moved to Detroit his uniform and Medal of Honor were relegated to a trunk with his other memorabilia. In fact, no one back home or in Detroit, (including the newspapers), had heard of Al’s heroism and that was okay with him. It was in 1944 when A1 Smith’s two sons by his first marriage, (his first wife. Thelma, died of cancer January 1, 1946), were preparing to enter military service and found out that their father held our nation’s highest decoration for valor 23 years after it was awarded. The sons, David Webster Smith and Philip Hart Smith, were both paratroopers in World War II and both were badly wounded. It was then that Philip heard that his father’s name was on a plaque in the Philadelphia Navy Yard. In 1958, 37 years after being awarded the Medal, A1 and his second wife, Edna, visited the Navy Yard to see the plaque. Naval officers told them that the plaque had been moved to Washington and was on a building. The Figure 4: S~nith as a Balloon Pilot. Smiths went to Washington but could find no trace of the building much less the plaque. At Edna’ insistence they Albert Smith stayed in the Marine Corps for another year, went to see their Congesswoman, Martha Griffiths, who attaining the rank of Sergeant, and qualified as a Balloon started making calls and that’s where "the balloon went Pilot (Figure 4) receiving Marine Corps qualification up." No one could find an official entry of Private Albert identification card number 50. He was discharged on Joseph Smith on the Medal of Honor Roll. October 22, 1922 and was awarded the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal (Figure 5). Smith returned to his ’°I thought they were going to shake Al’s hand off," Mrs. hometown of Calumet, Michigan for a short time before Smith said. "every half minute a man would show up, moving to Detroit. grab Al’s hand and shake it, then ask how he had won the Medal. Then they would trot away to check again. I was embarrassed for them." Congresswoman Griffiths promised to straighten the matter out and get back to them. By the time the Smiths had returned to Detroit a book (The Medal of Honor 1861-1949: The Navy) was waiting for them. It listed all the Navy and Marine Medal of Honor recipients, including A1, up to and including the World War II. On September 2, 1958, the Detroit Times reported the following: Congress knows today who Albert J. Smith is through efforts of Congresswoman Martha Griffiths, with an assist from The Detroit Times. Smith, 61, is one 310 living holders of the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest decoration for heroism. He is listed in the Congressional Record of August 24, 1958, on the House floor made by Mrs. Griffiths. Figure 5: S~nith ’s Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal Vol. 60, No. 4 (July-August 2009) 17 Until August 16, 1958, when the Times ran Smith’s story, Administration at the suggestion of Congresswoman The Congressional Record listed only 309 living Medal Martha Griffiths. He was turned down. On October of Honor heroes, including 11 from Michigan. In her 25, 1961, he wrote the Secretary of the Navy and was remarks to the House, Mrs. Griffiths said: informed: It appears that peace time Congressional Medal of Public Law 87-138 only provides for the special Honor recipients are so few and far between that pension of $100.00 per month for Marines and former frequently they are left off the roster of Medal of Marines who were awarded the Medal of Honor for Honor winners. On July 3, 1958, there appeared in service involving actual conflict with an enemy. This law became effective on September 1, 1961 and is not the Congressional Record a list of living holders retroactive. Since the Medal of Honor was not awarded of the Medal of Honor. Albert Joseph Smith, a to you in recognition of service in combat, you are not constituent of mine, did not appear on the list. I am entitled to the special pension of $100.00 per month. bringing it to the attention of the House so that all lists can be corrected to include his name. The letter went on: AI was more than willing to let that be the end of it. An act of Congress approved 3 March 1961 provided That is until one year later, July 21, 1959, when it was for the award of the Medal of Honor with gratuity of reported in the Detroit Free Press that there was an $100.00 to any enlisted man of the Navy or Marine effort to increase Medal of Honor recipients’ pensions Corps who distinguished himself in battle or displayed from $10.00 per month to $100.00 per month, and to extraordinary heroism in the line of his profession. This reduce the age requirement from 65 to 50 years of age. gratuity was paid at the time of the award of the Meda! A1, who was now 65 and retired, said he could use an of Honor and not as a monthly pension. The $100.00 gratuity was abolished by an act of Congress on 4 extra $100.00 per month. He hadn’t even known about February 1919. Since you were awarded the Medal of the $10.00 per month. Honor for service on 11 February !921, you were not eligible for the $100.00 gratuity provided for in the Act Nothing came of this effort to increase the pension until of Congress approved 3 March 1901. 1961 when, in the House of Representatives, Report No. 12 under Pension for Medal of Honor holders, A1 had been informed of this on June 18, 1961. He thought Representative Olin E. Teague of Texas, supported a Bill at the time that they wanted the $100.00 back. The above (H.R. 845) that would increase the pension to $100.00 per letter was signed by Major General A. Larson. month and permit payment at any age whether on active duty or not. One of the problems with the language of Undeterred, A1 next wrote to the President of the United this bill, and others in the following years that directly States who he had met at a reception earlier (Figure 6). On affectedA1 Smith and 17 other Medal of Honor recipients, April 10, 1962 he received a reply from Brigadier General was "Title 38 United States Code 560-562 provides for R. McC. Tomkins, USMC, informing him that, the Army, Navy and Air Force Medal of Honor Roll upon which is recorded on written application to the head of the As you were informed in our letter 7 November 1961, military department concerned, the name of each survivor Public Law 87-138 only provides for the special pension who has served in the military, naval, or air service of the of $100.00 a month for Marines and former Marines United States in any war, who has attained the age of 65 who were awarded the Medal of Honor for service years, and who has been awarded the Medal of Honor involving "actual conflict with an enemy. for, ’having in action involving an actual conflict with an enemy’ distinguished himself conspicuously by gallantry And there it rested until June 26, 1964. In a conference or intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond report by both the House and the Senate (to accompany the call of duty, and who has been honorably discharged H.R. 2434): from the service." The Committee on Finance, to whom was referred the Eighteen Medal of Honor recipients, A1 Smith among Bill (H.R. 2434), to amend title 38, United states Code, to permit the payment of specia! pension to holders of them did not, according to the guidelines of the Committee the Congressional Medal of Honor awarded such medal on Veterans Affairs, House of Representatives, qualify for for actions not involving conflict with an enemy and a pension. for other purposes, having considered the same, report favorably thereon with an amendment and recommend A1 Smith filed for the pension with the Veterans the bill as amended do pass. The purpose of this bill is 18 JOMSA military and naval aircraft that he didn’t know about because of his reluctance in mentioning to anyone that he had been awarded the Medal of Honor. General Lawson alluded to this in a letter of November 7, 1961 when he mentioned: "You, as a recipient of the Medal of Honor, are entitled to certain privileges. You have not been informed of these because for many years this headquarters has had no record of your current address and all attempts to reach you have been unsuccessful." The Congressional Medal of Honor Society met at convention at Detroit, Michigan October 25-27, 1962. Edna Smith, who was by this time quite aware of the significance of Al’s decoration, encouraged A1 to go to the convention and see what it was all about. A1 went downtown and entered the lobby of the Pick-Fort Shelby Hotel on Thursday October 25th. He introduced himself to the first man that he saw wearing the Medal who, as it turned out, was the President of the Medal of Honor Society at that time, Luther Scaggs, Jr.