Obituary of James Smith

Life Legacy James Andrew Smith, Army Sergeant First Class (retired), Defense Language Institute Military Language Instructor, and beloved father and son, died in a tragic accident in Monterey, CA, on 05 August 2017. He was 51 years old. Jim served over 20 years in the United States Army Special Operations Command, primarily as a Medical Sergeant in the 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) where he completed critical combat missions in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as training and humanitarian missions around the globe. He deeply treasured the rare opportunity to work with men who shared his values, work ethic, and love of Country. Over his long and distinguished career as a Green Beret, Jim received a Bronze Star with Distinction for Valor for his actions during combat operations in Afghanistan, as well as three Army Achievement medals, the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, two National Service Defense medals, the United Nations Medal, Saudi Kuwait Liberation Medal, Combat Medical Badge, Expert Field Medical Badge, and numerous other awards and commendations. Although Jim was deeply proud of his service and all that it demanded of him, he poured his astute mind and deep heart into every part of his life. Jim was an exceptional Urdu Linguist who, over the last six years, was a member of the Urdu faculty at the Defense Language Institute. There, he taught all aspects of the language to Department of Defense personnel and earned the deep respect of the Urdu faculty for his mastery of the language as a non-native speaker and his dedication to the success of the students, for whom he served as a role model. Quick-witted, with a love for word-play, Jim was a gifted storyteller who had the ability to draw listeners in with his vivid narratives. He had a keen ear for music and early on played the trumpet; he excelled at skiing and ice hockey, and was a lifelong Red Wings fan. In recent years, Jim enjoyed the freedom of riding his Harley and spending time outdoors. Jim is survived by numerous family members, friends, and loved ones who are deeply saddened by his sudden loss. Among these are his fiancée, Kim Svetich-Will, who lived with him; father, Herbert Smith (Carol) of Grand Rapids, MI; mother, Virginia Chaffee Smith, of Rockford, MI; brother, Brad Smith (Melissa) of Ada, OK; sister Pamala Kemp (David) of Comstock Park, MI; children: Jeremy Smith, of Grand Rapids, MI, Justin Smith of Nashville, TN, Joshua Smith, of Grand Rapids, MI, and Hannah and Gabriel Smith of Dubuque, IA. In the words of one of his fellow Green Berets, Jim “was the consummate professional who always sought the difficult missions.” Jim often referred to Isaiah 6:8 when speaking of ideas that guided his actions throughout his career: “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’” Jim was true hero and Brother-in-Arms. He will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Chapter 38 Special Forces Association, P.O. Box 223, Fort Campbell, KY 42223