[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 128 (Thursday, September 20, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Page S6538]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     HONORING COLONEL EUGENE SMITH

 Mr. COONS. Mr. President, I wish to commemorate the 
extraordinary life of Col. Eugene Smith of Wilmington, DE.
  Gene was the eldest child of Pat and Mary Smith, and his family's 
story is the American story. He was born in Ireland but moved to 
Wilmington at age 13, where he grew up playing sports and joined the 
Delaware National Guard while he was still attending Salesianum High 
School. After spending some time at seminary and working at DuPont--a 
great Delaware tradition--Gene went on Active Duty when the National 
Guard was federalized in the early 1940s. Colonel Smith served with 
honor in World War II and rose quickly to become a highly regarded 
military investigator with the Office of Strategic Services, leading 
the now-famous investigation into the post-war theft of over $1 million 
in jewels.
  On Thanksgiving Day 1952, the Smiths heard the knock at the door that 
every military family fears. Two Air Force officers brought news that a 
plane en route from Washington State to Alaska had crashed, and all 51 
onboard were missing, including Gene.
  The wreckage of the aircraft was spotted east of Anchorage, but by 
the time recovery teams entered the area, it had vanished, likely 
buried by an avalanche. The crash was simply stamped ``unresolved.''
  But America doesn't give up on our military heroes. We don't abandon 
our service men and women, no matter how long it takes. That is why I 
was so glad to read in the News Journal that on June 10 of this year, 
the Smith family finally got the closure they have been seeking. An 
Alaska Army National Guard team in a helicopter spotted debris on a 
glacier, and a specialized team was called in to officially identify it 
as the lost aircraft from more than 60 years ago. The remains of the 
souls lost that day were exhumed, identified, and buried at Arlington 
National Cemetery--the resting place for American heroes.
  The only surviving brother of Colonel Smith, Mike Smith of 
Wilmington, has carried on his family's legacy of service with honor 
and dignity, and we are proud to count him among our neighbors. I join 
all Delawareans in saluting the service and sacrifice of Col. Eugene 
Smith of Wilmington.

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