Second Lieutenant Harry P. Klein-Smith, Jr. O1327629
Second Lieutenant Harry P. Klein-Smith, Jr. O-1327629 US Army. He was born on June 4, 1921 in Jersey City, Hudson County, New Jersey, the son of Ruth Lorraine Commerce and Harry P Kleinsmith Sr.
Harry P. Klein-Smith, Jr. graduating from Niagara University, and enlisted in the US Army’s in Buffalo New York on June 9, 1943, at the age of 22. (his enlisted number was 32930768). He attended OCS and was commissioned a second lieutenant. He served in the 407th Infantry regiment, 102nd Infantry Division. In February 1945, 25 year-old Second Lieutenant Klein-Smith was leading his platoon on a push toward Hottorf, Germany when, a mortar shell hit him in the shoulder while he was in a crouched position. The force of the mortar sent him up in the air 30 feet like a geyser. He desperately looked for his right arm only to find it dangling behind his back. He stood up and walked two miles back to his division’s headquarters. He then spent the next two years moving from one military hospital to another for treatment. His entire upper torso with the exception of his left arm was encased in a body cast.
After he recovered from his injuries he stayed in the Army and served in the Korean War, and made it to the rank of Lt. Colonel before retiring from the Army. During his time in the Army he also served with the 9th Infantry Division, and the 103rd Infantry Division. He was Awarded the Purple Heart Medal (PHM), The Bronze Star Medal (BSM), American Theater of operations, European African Middle Eastern Theater of operations, World War Two Victory Medal. Lieutenant Colonel Klein-Smith died on Tuesday, January 13, 2015, at the age of 93, in Dallas Texas.
1- www.ariacremation.com/obituary/6890/
2- Items from Timothy A. Malone’s Collection
3- https://aad.archives.gov/aad/record-detail.jsp?dt=893&mtch=1&cat=all&tf=F&q=Harry+P+Klein+smith&bc=sd&rpp=10&pg=1&rid=3428114
