Scope and Contents

Approximately two linear feet of photographs, two hand-held journals, three Air Cavalry Division magazines and a Tour 365 - USARV Returnee Magazine from 1968, two disassembled Montagnard crossbows, military administrative documents, and a pair of rubber sandals document Gil Smith's tour of duty in Vietnam.

Biographical / Historical

Voyle Gilbert 'Gil' Smith (5 September 1941 - 18 September 2025) was born in Knoxville, Tennessee. His family moved to San Antonio, Texas when he was a child. He graduated from St. Mary's University in 1964 and went to work for the Air Force Security Service.

In January 1966, he took military leave from his civil service job and volunteered for the U.S. Army. After completing Officer Candidate School he went to Vietnam as a Second Lieutenant in 1967, where he served as an Assistant Psychological Operations Officer with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile). He was stationed first at Landing Zone (LZ) Two Bits, Binh Dinh Province (II Corps Tactical Zone) from November 1967 to January 1968. He then was stationed at Camp Evans, Thua Thien Province (I Corps Tactical Zone) from January 1968 through November 1968, where he was promoted to 1st Lieutenant.

During his tour in Vietnam, he was involved in Operation Pershing, the Tet Offensive (1968), Operation Pegasus (March-April 1968, the aim of which was to lift the siege of Khe Sanh), Operation Delaware, and Operation Jeb Stuart. Smith received the Air Medal, the Bronze Star Medal, and various unit citation and service ribbons for his service. In November 1968, he was released from active duty as a 1st Lieutenant after a two year, ten month service.

Following his U.S. Army service, he resumed civil service with the United States Air Force as an Intelligence Operations Specialist. In 1994, Smith retired with a total of thirty years of government service, continuing to work as an Air Force contractor until 2000. He was diagnosed with Agent Orange-related Parkinson’s in 2015.