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Kristen Forse will always remember her brother's bravery — on and off the battlefield.
Marine Sgt. David J. Smith's fierce devotion to his convictions and undying bravery were apparent to all who knew him, she said, recounting a favorite story.
It was Smith's acts of kindness and courage, and his lovable and goofy nature that make Forse certain her brother is in the special "Marine heaven" he imagined in life.
Smith, a 2002 Frederick High School graduate, died Jan. 26 from injuries he sustained in combat in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan on Jan. 23, the Marines confirmed Monday. He was 25 years old.
"He believed that once you were a Marine, when you died, you didn't die and go to heaven. When you died, you just went to the next battlefield," she said. "He had no fear of death, he loved the action."
Smith served with the 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion Company B, headquartered in Frederick, according to a press release.
"He was destined to be a Marine," said John Bodnar, a teacher at Frederick High School who coached Smith in soccer. Bodnar listed Smith's love for physical challenges, his determination and his positive attitude as reasons. "He obviously was a special kid because eight years later there's a lot of things I remember about him."
Bodnar recalled a specific instance when he started Smith in a soccer game, despite the fact that he was a reserve player. The starting players were getting a little too cocky during a winning streak and "needed an attitude adjustment" and Smith "deserved to start" more than them, he said.
"He was the kind of athlete and kid who didn't talk a good game, he just went out and worked hard every day ... coaches are always grateful and thankful when they have athletes that have those intangible character traits. I was blessed to teach him and coach him," he said.
Brett Templeton, the assistant soccer coach at the time, agreed, calling Smith "an incredibly positive influence" on his peers. Smith was a popular student with teachers and with students, and was good at making people feel "as though you were appreciated and as though you were special," Templeton said.
He said Smith had a lot of school spirit, maintained good grades, played soccer, lacrosse, football and wrestled at various points in his high school career, and "was a cheerleader at all times" for his teammates and school. "Black and gold through and through," Templeton added.
He said it is a Frederick High School tradition for all the boys in the senior class to run onto the field in costume during the annual pep rally, but during his junior year, Smith single-handedly organized the junior boys to do the same, exemplifying his fun-loving attitude.
Forse said her brother's personality is one thing she will miss most. He displayed his silly nature in all sorts of ways, like when he was goofing around with her son, Logan, or wearing a cowboy hat while rapping in a YouTube video with one of his college friends, she said.
Another thing she will miss is how devoted he was to their close-knit family. Smith loved coming home to visit, and would cook for the whole family and then sit on the couch after meals and just talk and joke, she said. When he was deployed or at college in North Carolina, Smith kept family close to his heart. One way he did that was through storing a video of his nephew, Logan, in his cell phone.
"He would show it to everybody, he was so proud of him," Forse said.
Ann Rudd, a Thurmont resident and a cousin of Smith's through marriage, said many of his friends from East Carolina University will be traveling to Frederick to attend the funeral. She said she isn't at all surprised that her cousin made so many friends everywhere he went.
"He was full of life. He enjoyed his life. He was rather light-hearted and there wasn't a lot of negativity that came out of him. You hear it all the time, ‘The good die young,' and in this case it's very true," she said.
Smith joined the Marines in December 2003, and was promoted to the rank of sergeant in April 2009. His awards include the Combat Action Ribbon, the Selected Marine Corps Reserve Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon and the Armed Forces Reserve Medal, according to a Marines press release.
E-mail Courtney Pomeroy at cpomeroy@gazette.net.
A viewing for Marine Sgt. David J. Smith of Frederick is planned for noon to 9 p.m. Monday at Frederick Christian Fellowship Church, at the Lynfield Event Complex, 10142 Hansonville Road, Building No. 5, Frederick. A funeral service will be held at 9 a.m. Tuesday at the same location. Burial will be at 3 p.m. Tuesday at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.
