A new Veterans Memorial in Centre County is tied to a beloved family member, an Air Force Pilot, who went missing during the Vietnam War. In his memory, the Memorial became a community project to honor Military Prisoners of War and those Missing in Action.
The United State Military has long had a code of “Leave No One Behind”, a commitment to those on a battlefield. This past weekend, the name of a Bellefonte native, Lewis Smith the 2nd, is front and center at the dedication of the new POW/MIA Courtyard at Grange Fair Park. Smith, a Penn State Grad and Air Force Pilot was just 25 when his plane was shot down during the Vietnam War in 1968. Declared Missing in Action ever since, his family making sure his legacy isn’t left behind.
Deb Burger saying: “When my oldest brother went missing in 1968, I was in fifth grade. So I was very young. He was the oldest of six, I was the youngest.” Lewis Smith was Deb Burger’s brother. Their Father was also Veteran, and for the family, a lifelong commitment to the fallen Airman. Deb adding: “I had promised my mother when she was passing away that I would not rest until I tried to get my brother the information, and get him back here where he belongs.”
So far, Burger says they’ve only received a Penn State class ring recovered from the Lewis Smith crash site. But the family gratified to see the new Memorial Courtyard, a reality, funded by more than $80,000 in contributions. Deb adding: “Most of the $80,000 plus were private donations, which says a lot for this community, that they really honor and support our Military.”
Including and since World War II, more than 5,300 Military Members from Pennsylvania, are still listed as missing in action.