CHINCOTEAGUE, Va. — The Coast Guard met with a WWII veteran Monday in Chincoteague who was awarded a U.S. Coast Guard Bronze Star 69 years after his honorable actions during the Battle of Guam in 1944.
Coast Guard personnel from units in Chincoteague hosted Richard Smith at Coast Guard Station Chincoteague to hear him speak about his Coast Guard service, including his experiences serving in WWII. Aids to Navigation Team Chincoteague, Station Chincoteague and Sector Field Office Eastern Shore personnel recognized Smith's service and presented him with a plaque. Smith, a resident of Salisbury, Maryland, and native of East Liverpool, Ohio, served in the Coast Guard from 1942 to 1945.
A medical corpsman, Smith spent five days on Guam in 1944 and tended to approximately 36 men during battle.
"The highlight of my Coast Guard career was serving as a pharmacist's mate in Chincoteague," said Smith.