War Stories

Lt. P. J. Smith
A Commemorative
By Norbert Smith

About the author - Norbert Smith is the son of Lt. Paul J. Smith. P. J. Smith served in China in  1944-45. On October 17, 1944 he and another pilot from the 76th shot down the last two planes claimed by the 76th in the war.

Paul J. Smith entered the service on June 3, 1942.
He was the oldest son of a farm family from southern Minnesota so he had to wait until after spring planting. I presume that due to his common last name, in roll calls he was called "Smith, P.J." Thus, he acquired the nickname, PJ. Neither before nor after his service experience did anyone ever call him P.J., at least not to the knowledge of any of his living relatives. In fact, we never even knew about the nickname until I called Col. Baker, who yelled out "You're PJ's son?" after I had identified myself. While attending Casey Jones Aeronautics Pre-Flight School in Newark, New Jersey, he met Pauline Moscariello, the woman who eventually became his wife and my mother. He graduated from Air Corps Advanced Flying School, Foster Field, Texas as part of Class 43-I on October 1, 1943. His rank was that of Flight Officer. He did not have a college degree and had started out as an enlisted man. So, I assume that his rank was something akin to that of a Warrant Officer, but I'm only guessing. By March 30, 1944 he arrived in Karachi. On June 7, 1944 he arrived at the 76th Squadron base in Lingling.

On the same transport plane with him were Robert J. Raymond, Rex B. Shull, E.E. Smith and Richard J. Tanner. Raymond, Shull and E.E. Smith died in China. Coincidentally, the squadron records from which I obtained this information also indicated that the 76th took its first delivery of P-51s that same day. On June 11, he flew his first combat mission, in one of those P-51s! In October he was promoted to 2nd Lt. On October 17, 1944 he and another pilot from the 76th shot down the last two planes claimed by the 76th in the war. That distinction is what motivated Molesworth to name my dad in his book, Sharks Over China. During his tour, he received credit for one one/half kills. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster for flying at least 100 combat missions. I could not determine the exact date that he left China. I do know that he was back in the USA by April 4, 1945 and that he married my mother on July 14. He brought my mother back to southern Minnesota where they farmed until his death from lung cancer on April 7, 1983. He is survived by 8 children, 6 of whom attended the 76th reunion in Fayetteville, N.C. in May, 1999.
 

Below are photographs of a model of a P-51 aircraft used by the 76th Fighter Squadron. The insignia plus personalized markings are those which P. J.'s plane would have had. Norbert commissioned the building of this wooden airplane to commemorate his father's service.