Aaron A. Smith

Aaron Amponsah Smith

4th Battalion 27th Artillery

Attached to 1-22 Infantry

KIA 09/14/2006

Age: 31

Hometown: Killeen, TX

Date of Death: 9/14/2006

Incident Location: Baghdad

Branch of Military: Army

Rank: Sgt.

MOS: 13B-Field Artillery Cannon Crewmember

Unit: 4th Battalion, 27th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 1st Armored Division

Unit's Base: Baumholder, Germany

Sgt. Aaron A. Smith, Sr., 31, of Sacramento, CA, died September 14, 2006.
Sgt. Smith was serving in Iraq with the U.S. Army at the time of his death.
Among Sgt. Smith's military awards include the, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Good Conduct Medal,
Combat Action Badge, Meritorious Service Medal, Expeditionary Service Ribbon,
National Defense Service Medal, Army Achievement Medal, and Army Service Ribbon.
He is survived by his wife, Fran Smith; son, Aaron A. Smith, Jr.; daughter, Briana Smith;
father, Dr. Kweku Smith; mother, Theresa Smith; and sister, Adlaide Amponsah.
Funeral services will be Tuesday, September 26, 2006 at 10 o'clock at Patterson's Arlington Chapel.
Interment with full military honors will follow at Arlington Memorial Park.
The family will receive friends Monday from 5 to 8 o'clock at H.M. Patterson and Son,
Arlington Chapel, 173 Allen Rd, Sandy Springs (404) 851-9900.

Published in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on 9/24/2006

The Atlanta Journal Constitution

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SGT Aaron A. Smith's decorations

SGT Aaron A. Smith

Stars and Stripes -- Sgt. Aaron A. Smith, 31, of Killeen, Texas, died in Baghdad Sept. 14
when a dump truck loaded with explosives and covered by sand exploded near a West Baghdad power substation
he was guarding. Smith was a member of the 4th Battalion, 27th Field Artillery Regiment.

He was remembered at Baumholder on Wednesday in a ceremony
that hinted there are few safe places to be or jobs to have in Iraq.

Capt. Eduardo D. Rodriguez, rear detachment commander of the 4th Battalion, 27th Field Artillery Regiment,
said at the ceremony that Smith was the soldier that every unit has: “Everyone’s favorite.”

Rodriguez said Smith, who was born in Ghana, “was also one of the best tower guards in the power plant.”

“Although Sgt. Smith loved his job and his friends, he loved his family most.
While deployed, he would always take the time to call and talk to his wife, Fran, as often as possible,”
Rodriguez said. “Sgt. Smith would constantly brag to everyone about AJ, his 14-month-old son.”

By Matt Millham, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Friday, September 29, 2006

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Baumholder remembers three soldiers killed in Iraq

By Matt Millham, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Friday, September 29, 2006

Three casualties of the war in Iraq were remembered at Baumholder on Wednesday
in a ceremony that hinted there are few safe places to be or jobs to have in Iraq.

The soldiers, from different units under the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division,
were killed in three separate incidents in two different cities within eight days.

Sgt. Aaron A. Smith, 31, of Killeen, Texas, died in Baghdad Sept. 14 when a dump truck loaded with explosives
and covered by sand exploded near a West Baghdad power substation he was guarding.
Smith was a member of the 4th Battalion, 27th Field Artillery Regiment.

Sgt. Allan R. Bevington, 22, of Beaver Falls, Pa., died in Ramadi on Sept.21, when a makeshift bomb
detonated near him during combat operations. Bevington was assigned to the 40th Engineer Battalion.

Pfc. Jeffrey P. Shaffer, 21, died Sept. 13 in Ramadi when a roadside bomb hit his Bradley fighting vehicle.
Shaffer was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment.

Capt. Eduardo D. Rodriguez, rear detachment commander of the 4th Battalion, 27th Field Artillery Regiment,
said at the ceremony that Smith was the soldier that every unit has: “Everyone’s favorite.”

Rodriguez said Smith, who was born in Ghana, “was also one of the best tower guards in the power plant.”

“Although Sgt. Smith loved his job and his friends, he loved his family most.
While deployed, he would always take the time to call and talk to his wife, Fran, as often as possible,”
Rodriguez said. “Sgt. Smith would constantly brag to everyone about AJ, his 14-month-old son.”

One of Bevington’s old supervisors, 1st Sgt. Orville Wilson, said his former troop was “a real go-getter.”

“I mean, there wasn’t a mission he wouldn’t go out and do,” Wilson said. Bevington,
who Wilson described as “happy-go-lucky” was a popular soldier
who had recently been promoted to sergeant before his death.

“We took it pretty hard, because there were a lot of (noncommissioned officers) back here
that had worked with him,” Wilson said. “He was one of those guys you love to have around.”

Capt. Marvin L. King III, the rear detachment commander for the 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment,
said at the ceremony that Shaffer had recently told his mother of his decision to re-enlist.

King said Shaffer told his mother, “I think the Army’s been good for me.”

Shaffer “joined the Army because of 9/11 and the fact he wanted to protect his daughter and family
from any more terrorist attacks,” King said.

According to King, Shaffer told his father he didn’t want his two brothers, Stephen and Addrin,
to have to fight in Iraq, “So I will stay here until this job is done.”

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KILLEEN, TX, USA
U.S. Army
SGT, BATTERY C, 4TH BATTALION, 27TH FIELD ARTILLERY, (4 ID), BAMBERG, GERMANY
10TH CSH, BAGHDAD, IRAQ 09/14/2006

Born in Ghana, and raised in Killeen TX, Aaron Smith loved his job and his friends but he loved his family most of all.
While deployed, he would always take the time to call and talk to his wife as often as possible and was constantly heard
bragging to everyone about son, AJ.

Smith was a member of the 4th Battalion, 27th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 1st Armored Division. There wasn’t a job
Sergeant Smith wouldn’t go out and do. He was a popular soldier who had recently been promoted to sergeant.

Among Sgt. Smith’s military awards include the, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Good Conduct Medal, Combat Action Badge,
Meritorious Service Medal, Expeditionary Service Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal,
Army Achievement Medal, and Army Service Ribbon.

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Birth: Apr. 14, 1975, Ghana
Death: Sep. 14, 2006
Baghdad, Iraq

Army Sgt. Smith was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 27th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 1st Armored Division,
Baumholder, Germany. Smith died when a dump truck loaded with explosives and covered by sand exploded
near a west Baghdad power substation he was guarding. Aaron is remembered by his fellow soldiers as the soldier
that every unit has – "everyone's favorite". He was also one of the best tower guards in the power plant. Although he loved
his job and his friends, he loved his family most. While deployed, he would always take time to call and talk to his wife
as often as possible. He would also constantly brag to everyone about his 14-month-old son.

Among Aaron's military awards include the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Good Conduct Medal, Combat Action Badge,
Meritorious Service Medal, Expeditionary Service Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal, Army Achievement Medal,
and Army Service Ribbon. He is survived by his wife, Fran, a son and daughter.

Burial:
Arlington Memorial Park
Sandy Springs
Fulton County
Georgia, USA

Plaque for Aaron A. Smith on the 4th Infantry Division Wall of Honor at Fort Hood, Texas.

Photo courtesy of Bob Babcock

Top photo of Aaron Smith from Fallen Heroes Project

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