John A Smith (1922-1941)

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and was able to spend time with family. This season is a great time for us to ask questions and hear stories about how family members spent Christmas in the past. But 80 years ago, the US was just enterring WWII after the bombing of Pear Harbor. Families were adapting to a new world as their young men were enlisting and preparing to be shipped off to far flung parts of the world. Some families were waiting for word of thier sons who may have been based in Pearl Harbor.

This post is about one such sailor, John A. Smith, who was stationed on the USS Arizona at the time. John Smith was the husband of Rosetta Leugers, my 2nd cousin 2x removed. John was born on 9 May 1922 in Greenfield, Highlands County, Ohio. He was the fifth child of Clarence Eugene Smith and Elma Ladd Smith.

In the 1930 US Census, the family is living on a farm in Madison Township, Highlands County, Ohio. Clarence (age 46) was born in Iowa and Emma (age 45) was a local girl from Highlands County. Both were 22 years old when they were married. The childreen of the family were Paul (age 22), Lucile (age 20), Rebecca (age 18), Thomas (age 14), and John (age 9). Clarence is listed as a farmer and Paul works at a poultry hatchery.

The family is still living in Highlands County, Ohio during the 1940 US Census. They are living on a farm but Clarence is listed as a manager in the school garage. Emma LAdd Smith had died in 1934 and Clarence had remarried. His new wife was Mary Oletha Boyd Smith. The 1940 census indicates that Clarence (age 56) had completed 8th grade. His wife, Oletha (age 48), had completed 4 years of high school. John (age 19) had finished 3 years of high school. Additionally, John H Boyd (age 74) was living in the home. He was Oletha's father. Clarence had made $2,340 during the last year.

On 6 September 1940, John married Rosetta Leugers in Hillsboro, Ohio. Squire Van Pelt, J.P., performed the ceremony. John and Rosetta were both living in Greenfield, Highlands County, Ohio at the time.

John enlisted in the Navy in 1940 where he was a Ship fitter 3rd Class. He was stationed on the USS Arizona. The USS Arizona was a battleship launched in 1915, during WWI. On 7 December 1941, the ship was sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl harbor. More than 1,000 sailors are still entombed on the ship and considered buried at sea. Several days before Christmas, the family received a telegram informing them that John had been listed as "missing" and assumed a casualty by the Navy Department. He was survived by his wife and 13-month old daughter.

In February 1944, he was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart.

Sources:

• The Minster Post, Minster, Ohio, 26 December 1941, page 1
• The Minster Post, Minster, Ohio, 4 February 1944, page 1
• FamilySearch profile (LVW3-WNB)