Lee Wilson Smith was born on August 13, 1917, in Battle Ground, Tippecanoe County, Indiana. He was the son of B. Wilson Smith and Leona Julia Pearson Smith.

He enlisted in the Army on April 2, 1941, prior to the war, at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Farm Hand and also as Single, without dependents.

Lee served in the 535th Bomber Squadron, 381st Bomber Group, as a First Lieutenant and Pilot on the B-17G "Bermondsay Battler" #42-39895 during World War II. He was Killed in Action on February 22, 1944, when his aircraft was shot down over Germany and crashed at Detmold. He is now buried in the Ardennes American Cemetery, Neupré, Belgium.

Crew of B-17 "Bermondsay Battler" (#42-39895):
Eden, Lawrence V., S/Sgt, Tail Gunner, New Jersey

Evans, Rowland H., 1st Lt, Co-Pilot, Maryland

Kaufman, Harold W., 2nd Lt, Bombardier, Illinois

Kemper, Harold C., T/Sgt, Engineer, Kentucky

Larson, Lester P., S/Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, New Jersey

Manning, Andrew F., S/Sgt, Left Waist Gunner, Nebraska

Meier, Leonard P., 2nd Lt, Navigator, New York

Smith, Lee W., 1st Lt, Pilot, Indiana

Solway, Reginald C., Sgt, Right Waist Gunner, Washington

Zappala, John W., T/Sgt, Massachusetts

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.abmc.gov