Birth: December 1st, 1934 Death: May 25th, 2024 United States Air Force Veteran, Silas “Si” William Smith, Jr., of Rocky Hill, Connecticut, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, May 25, 2024. A graveside Celebration of Life with military honors will be held on Saturday, August 17, 2024, at 11:00 am at the Wethersfield Village Cemetery, 1 Marsh Street, Wethersfield, CT.
A private reception will follow. Si is a direct descendant of Richard “Bull” Smith, the founder of Smithtown, Long Island. He was born on the kitchen table on December 1, 1934, in Caledonia, New York.
A true patriot, Si was honorable and extremely empathetic, teaching the lessons between merely existing and truly living. He embodied deep discipline, intelligence, and prudence, and his true devotion was to family and friends. In 1952, Si joined the US Air Force as part of the 97th/340th Bomb Wing, where he flew support missions from Guam into Korea.
After Korea, as part of Strategic Air Command’s B-52 Stratofortress, he participated in missions in England, Japan, and with 4024th doing air electronic surveillance missions along the Cold War border. He continued his service by being stationed at Westover AFB, Orlando AFB, Dow AFB and Kincheloe AFB. In 1971, he was sent to the Vietnam War as part of the 362nd TEWS Da Nang.
Achieving the rank of Technical Sargent and 20 years of service, Si retired from the USAF. During his military service, Si received numerous medals, including the Presidential Unit Cita.