MORGANTON, N.C. — A 104-year-old World War II veteran from Burke County who is in hospice was recently recognized for a lifetime of service and sacrifice.
Ernest Smith was honored with a special pinning ceremony at his home in Morganton in February. The ceremony was part of Carolina Caring's specialized veteran services, which help ensure servicemen and women get the care they deserve. Col. Tim Herndon, Carolina Caring's veteran volunteer, performed the ceremony with Smith.
Smith bravely served in World War II after growing up in Burke County in the 1930s. Like many folks his age, Smith didn't go to school. Instead, he started working on the family farm when he was just 10 years old. His father shortened the handles of the plow so Smith could control the mule and plow on his own.
Smith believes that experience prepared him for his role in the U.S. Navy. He enlisted shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor, operating mainly on the USS Chilton transport ship. The boat was a regular target of Japanese kamikaze pilots. To this day, Smith still has pieces of the Japanese aircraft that crashed at his feet during the war.
Smith attributes his long life and many blessings to God, along with a steadfast faith and regular prayer. He expressed his gratitude during the ceremony, shedding tears while reflecting on a life well lived.
"I thank the Lord for keeping me safe and allowing me to live so long," Smith said.
Thursday marked the 80th anniversary of D-Day, when Allied Forces stormed the beaches of Normandy, France.
Veterans of World War II, many of them centenarians and likely returning to France for one last time, pilgrimaged Tuesday to what was the bloodiest of five Allied landing beaches on June 6, 1944. They remembered fallen friends. They relived horrors they experienced in combat. They blessed their good fortune for surviving. And they mourned those who paid the ultimate price.
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