Jack Rae Smith

Jack Rae Smith was raised in Wright County and graduated from Clarion High School. As a youth he was an exceptional athlete, a letterman in five different sports. Following high school, Smith went to Wartburg College in Waverly. He played football in college, making the team his freshman year. Jack Smith received his draft notice in the spring of 1969 and was officially inducted in June of that year. He trained as an infantryman and was sent to South Vietnam in November 1969, only five months after being drafted. SP4 Smith was assigned to Company B, 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry in the 25th Infantry Division. He was killed on March 31, 1970 when a hostile force was encountered west of Lai Khe in the Binh Duong Province. He sustained multiple fatal fragmentation wounds. The Army posthumously promoted Jack Smith to Sergeant and awarded him the Bronze Star. The 20-year-old’s remains were returned to Iowa and buried at the Evergreen Cemetery in Clarion.