Smith, Lewis Philip II
Air Force Major
Lewis Philip II Smith, age 25, from Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, Centre county.
Service era: Vietnam
Schools: Penn State University (1964)
Military history: Major, Air Force. Started tour May 30, 1968.
Date of death: May 30, 1968
Death details: Major Lewis Philip Smith II, who joined the U.S. Air Force from Pennsylvania, was a member of the 29th Tactical Airlift Squadron. On May 30, 1968, he was the pilot of a single-seat O-2A Skymaster (tail number 67-21405, call sign “Covey 535”) on a forward air controller mission east of Chavane, Laos. During the mission, Maj Smith located suitable targets for an air strike, and radioed a request for armed aircraft to join him. The aircraft were dispatched; however, Maj Smith failed to meet them for a scheduled rendezvous. Searches for Maj Smith were immediately launched, but were unable to locate him or his aircraft. Further attempts to locate him or his remains following the end of hostilities were unsuccessful. Today, Major Smith is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
Source: Altoona Mirror, National Archives, Department of Defense.
