Lt. Russell B. "Pete" Smith, U.S.A.A.F.
Photo courtesy of his niece, Jeanne (Smith) Freeman..
Photo taken in California.  

Lt. Russell B. "Pete" Smith, U.S.A.A.F.
Photo courtesy of his niece, Jeanne (Smith) Freeman.
This photo was taken in front of her parent’s home
in Albuquerque, N.M., on Pete’s birthday in 1943.

Lt. Russell B. Smith, bombardier instructor at the Moroc Air Base, was killed in a plane crash near Moroc, Calif., last week. He was the son of the late Earl Smith and was well known in the Sun City community. He lived in that vicinity as a small lad.

Lt. Smith volunteered for service from Spearman, Texas. He returned to the States last November after spending eight months in the Aleutians. Surviving him are his wife and daughter, Judy, his mother, Mrs. Earl Smith of Elkhart, several sisters and brothers and other relatives. He was a grandson of J. Smith, long time resident of Liberal, who now resides in Arkansas. He was also the nephew of Roy O. Smith, manager of the Liberal Lumber Co. His father passed away Nov. 18, 1943.

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Thanks to Jeanne (Smith) Freeman for the above photos and to Shirley Brier for finding, transcribing and contributing the above news article to this web site!

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