When Iraqi soldiers launched a surprise attack on U.S. troops at Baghdad’s airport during the first days of the war, one man stood between Americans there and disaster.
Exposed to enemy fire, Sgt. 1st Class Paul Ray Smith of Tampa organized the defense and took over a .50-caliber machine gun to stall the attack, saving the lives of dozens of American soldiers as well as those in a nearby medical aid station.
More Top Picks Best Amazon Prime Day Phone Case Deals 2026
Smith, 33, was mortally wounded in the attack. On Monday, the second anniversary of his death, Smith will posthumously be awarded the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest commendation for valor and the first of the war in Iraq. President Bush will preside at the White House ceremony.
It will be the first time the Medal of Honor has been awarded in more than a decade. Only two had been awarded since the Vietnam War.
Smith’s battalion commander, who nominated him for the award, said the sergeant was the last line of defense that day at the airport.
“I am absolutely thrilled for Paul Smith’s family, the soldiers who knew and served with him and the soldiers and Americans who will now learn of his incredible commitment and valor, not just on that day two years ago but throughout a career of service to the country,” said Lt. Col. Tom Smith of the 11th Engineer Battalion of the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division. “It is an honor to have served with him.”
Those who knew him described Smith as the model soldier and leader.
Born in Texas, Smith moved to Tampa when he was 9. He graduated from Tampa Bay Technical High School in 1988 and worked as a carpenter.
But family members said Smith was always clear about what he wanted to do when he grew up: “I want to be a soldier, get married, and have kids.” He joined the Army in 1989, and served in the Persian Gulf war, then in Kosovo and Bosnia.
He met his wife while stationed in Germany, and they had a son and a daughter. His family lives in Holiday, north of Tampa Bay.
Smith spent his military career as a combat engineer, soldiers trained to clear minefields, disable enemy explosives, build bridges and destroy obstacles.
When the war in Iraq began in March 2003, Smith led a platoon of combat engineers assigned to the 2nd Battalion of the 7th Infantry Regiment. On April 4, after three continuous days of fighting, the soldiers were ordered to block a counterattack near the main entrance to Baghdad’s airport, just seized by U.S. troops.
While scouting a location to build a holding pen for Iraqi prisoners, Smith spotted up to 100 Iraqi soldiers massing behind a wall for a counterattack, according to the Army’s official version of the action.
Smith organized his soldiers into a skirmish line to block the Iraqis’ advance, called for support from armored vehicles, and “inspired” his men by running to the wall to throw a grenade, then firing a missile at the enemy, the Army report said.
When an Iraqi mortar round struck an American armored personnel carrier, wounding three, including the machine gunner, Smith climbed aboard and then manned the .50-caliber machine gun, even though it was exposed to enemy fire.
He told one of his soldiers, “Feed me ammunition whenever you hear the gun get quiet,” then fired and reloaded through three boxes of ammunition, killing up to 50 Iraqi soldiers.
If Smith had not acted decisively, without concern for his safety, the Iraqi troops could have overrun the position and the nearby medical aid station, the Army report said.
“The enemy attack was at its strongest point and every action counted,” the Army report said.
The attack was beaten back, and no other Americans were killed. But Smith was struck in the neck by a bullet.
His men carried Smith out of the battle, where medics tried to revive him. He died 30 minutes later, one of three soldiers from his company to die during the early stage of the war.
Since 1861, when President Abraham Lincoln established the Medal of Honor, there have been 3,459 recipients. The medal is awarded sparingly.
None were awarded during Desert Storm, and none for combat in Grenada, Panama or Lebanon. The two awarded for action since the Vietnam War, like Smith’s, were awarded posthumously.
Army Master Sgt. Gary Gordon and Sgt. 1st Class Randall Shughart were awarded Medals of Honor for their actions in a firefight in Somalia in 1993 that was portrayed in the book and movie “Black Hawk Down.” The two Special Forces snipers insisted on being dropped by helicopter to protect the crew of an American helicopter that had been shot down, and they were killed when their position was overrun.
More Top Picks Best Fidget Chairs For Office Workers