Billy Edwin Smith was born on October 11, 1921, in Mesquite, Dallas County, Texas. He was the son of William Edward Smith and Minnie Ethel Caldwell Smith. Billy was a member of the First Baptist Church there. He graduated from Mesquite High School and was a student at Texas Agricultural and Mechanical College when he enlisted on February 24, 1943.

Billy served in the 873rd Bomber Squadron, 498th Bomber Group, as a Sergeant and Radio Operator on the B-29 #44-61666 'Sweet Sixteen' during World War II.

On September 4, 1945, the crew was dropping relief supplies to the POW camp in Kawaminami Kogyo Koyagijima Shipyard in Koyagi Village, Nishisonogi District, Nagasaki Prefecture (now Koyagi Town, Nagasaki City ). However, due to an unknown circumstance, they crashed into Mount Sashiki on the opposite shore of Koyagi Island, killing thirteen members of the crew (including Sgt Smith). Only one survived. The bodies of those who were killed were cremated in the pow camp by the prisoners of war and enshrined in the Oura Catholic Church. Sgt Smith has a cenotaph in the Long Creek Cemetery, Sunnyvale, Dallas County, Texas, USA.