MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- Community members gathered at the Marine Memorial Chapel here to honor and remember one of their own during a memorial service Tuesday.
Sgt. Jason T. Smith, an explosive ordnance disposal technician with Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, was killed while conducting combat operations in Afghanistan Nov. 19.
Smith, an Aberdeen, Wash. native, was killed while serving as an individual augmentee in support of forward deployed EOD technicians attached to 7th Engineer Support Battalion, 1st EOD Company, 4th Platoon.
“The memories he leaves behind are a testament forever etched in the histories of this war to the generations of Marines who have yet to bear the title,” said Lt. Col. Michael Coletta, H&HS commanding officer. “We here in this place know that the honor that we inherit when we are granted the title Marine comes from heroes like Jason, men who gave the ultimate sacrifice not because they were told to, not because they were drafted into service, but rather because he saw the face of evil and volunteered.”
Smith, born on Dec. 22, 1981, reported to Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, Calif., on June 4, 2000, after graduating from Doherty High School two days prior.
During his enlistment, he deployed twice to Iraq, once as a career retention specialist in February 2005 and again as a motor transportation operator in March 2007.
While in theater, after reenlisting for a third tour of service in June 2008, Smith made a lateral move into the Explosive Ordnance Disposal field.
“Sgt. Jason Smith was very well liked by his fellow Marines but found a special place in the hearts of the EOD community with which he served,” said Coletta. “His personal sacrifice, I’m sure, will be retold often by the brothers he found among them. I’m sure more than a few of them have related personal stories to their family and friends, speaking of the man who brought them a smile, made them laugh or supported them during a difficult time.”
Smith received orders to Iwakuni, Japan, shortly after graduating from EOD training Feb. 26, 2010, and volunteered as an individual augmentee to go to Afghanistan in June 2010.
Although his time in Iwakuni was short, the impact he had on people was apparent in the crowed that filled the chapel to remember him. Marines, sailors, and American and Japanese civilians poured into the chapel for the memorial service to remember the Marine who touched and affected so many lives.
Many of their eyes clouded over with tears and felt their throats knot up as the memory of Smith was recounted throughout the service.
“He was a loving brother, a devoted son and a cherished husband,” said Chief Warrant Officer 2 James Morgan, EOD officer. “He was a courageous and honorable Marine. He was also someone that we’ve had the great privilege of knowing, one who volunteered to go into harm’s way, knowing that his mission would be difficult and dangerous but necessary.”
Smith’s job as an EOD technician was unique because he ran toward the danger while everyone else tried to avoid it and put his own life at risk so others could live, he added.
Many Marines who knew Smith struggled to present an accurate description of him during the service.
“Trying to do justice to a Marine like Sgt. Smith is nearly impossible,” said Master Sgt. Aaron Salyi, station EOD chief. “One of the first things that comes to my mind is he was the type of Marine any leader wishes they had under their charge. He was one of the best.”
The best way to honor Smith is with the smiles that appear on the faces of people who knew him when they gather and remember the best times they spent with him, Salyi said.
Toward the end of the service, the traditional roll call for fallen comrades was called by Sgt. Maj. Gerard Calvin, H&HS sergeant major.
Throughout the recent history of the Marine Corps, the roll call has called out the name of many Marines who have inscribed themselves into the annals of history with their heroic acts and their selfless sacrifice for others. This time it called out for Sgt. Jason T. Smith. No one was there to answer the call.
There was only the sound of the bugler who broke the resounding silence with the slow melancholic notes of “Taps.” After the last note played, attendees lined up in front of Smith’s display to pay their respects. Many approached it with tears, and others with mournful looks in their eyes.
Smith will always be remembered alongside all the other Marines who now stand guard on Heaven’s scenes. He will always be remembered as a loving brother, a devoted son and a cherished husband. He will always be remembered as a Marine.