Edward J. Smyth, of Pasadena, California, was born on August 4, 1886. He was a member of the Pasadena Presbyterian Church and was employed by the Staats-Macy Company for six years prior to his service. Smyth had just reached his thirty-second birthday at the time of his death.

On April 6, 1917, he applied for a commission, the same day the US entered the war. He had attended the officers' training camp at Monterey, held in 1916. His ground course in aviation was completed at Berkeley after he spent a short time in San Diego, and he went East in November 1917.

While training at Tours in France, he was injured when his machine fell out of control. An observer, who was with him, escaped unhurt. Within three months from the time he had sustained a fractured shoulder from this accident, Smyth was killed in a second accident. He is now buried in the Mountain View Cemetery and Mausoleum, Altadena, Los Angeles County, California, USA. 1Lt Smyth was one of the 171 American servicemen who trained at the Third Aviation Instruction Center in France and died between 1917-1919.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com