Lance Cpl. Matthew R. Smith
Lance Cpl. Matthew R. Smith
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Matthew R. Smith Obituary
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MG
March 1, 2024
It's been almost 23 years since I last saw Matt, but whenever I catch a rugby game on TV or hear about something happening in Indiana, I smile and think about him :)
Recently, I was reminded of him again and decided to look him up to try to understand what happened. I felt compelled to leave a few words for him here.
I've never known a more caring and understanding guy, and I'll always cherish the time we spent together. The summer of 2001 will always hold a special place in my heart.
Matt, wherever you are up there, I hope you crack open a Canadian beer every now and then and think of me too.
Heath McCreery
April 30, 2023
I had the pleasure of leading and serving with Matthew at Det 1 Comm. Co., Grissom Air Base. I remember a hard nosed, determined young man who took his responsibilities serious. He is still remembered and missed. Some of the Marines he served with 20 years ago are planning an informal, graveside gathering in Anderson at 1400 on May 10th. We respect, remember and honor Matthew Smith. This Marine gave all. Semper Fi.
Peggy Childers
May 10, 2012
To the family and friends of Lance Cpl. Matthew R. Smith:
Always remembering Matthew. "Some gave all."
L Neal
May 27, 2011
To the family of Lance Cpl. Matthew R. Smith:
Please know that just as your loved one remains in your hearts and minds; his sacrifice, and that of your family, remains with the people he died defending. Words cannot express the gratitude we feel for his bravery and selflessness, or the heartache we feel for your loss. God bless and keep you always.
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Peggy Childers
May 10, 2011
To the family and friends of Lance Cpl. Matthew R. Smith:
Please accept my remembrance of Matthew on the anniversary of his passing and know that he will never be forgotten.
Corey Betz
May 31, 2010
I still think about Matt daily. He was more than just a great Marine, he was an incredible inspiration and one of the best friends I've ever had. Thinking of you Matthew this Memorial Day...
Peggy Childers
May 11, 2010
To the family and friends of Lance Cpl. Matthew R. Smith:
Remembering Matthew on the anniversary of his passing. May our fallen heroes never be forgotten!
Peggy Childers
"Don't Let The Memory Of Them Drift Away"
www.IraqWarHeroes.org
Kenna
March 22, 2010
”Honor and Remember” - “Project Compassion” We love our Soldiers! We love our country and we cannot express enough love and compassion to the families of our fallen heroes. War does not discriminate – It breaks our hearts to see the faces of the fallen. We want to give this gift to the hero’s Mother, Father and/or spouse. We are a 501c3 nonprofit organization! Almost 2,000 portraits have been completed and shipped to the parents and or spouse - at no cost as this is a gift from one American to another!
This is a gift! We have wonderful sponsors who help with the costs, and want you know that everyone here at Project Compassion does and will always CARE.
Contact us directly at [email protected] or go to www.heropaintings.com . If you have already had a portrait completed, we pray that you are enjoying the portrait and God Bless You.
Sincerely and Respectfully,
Kenna
[email protected]
July 18, 2009
I served with Lance Corporal Smith in Iraq. I think about him often. He was a brave marine!! He will always be in my thoughts. We miss you Lance Corporal Smith! CW3 Dwayne C Dycus US Army
May 26, 2009
I just read about Matthew on Google Earth Map of the Fallen. I grew up in Anderson and now serve in the Middle East. Having never known Matthew, I just want to honor his service to our country and say a prayer for his surviving family. I am deeply sorry for your loss and the loss to our community and nation.
Sincerely, Rod
April 12, 2009
To the family of: Matthew R. Smith I am so sorry for the loss of your love one. My heart cries out for you in your grief. He died a hero defending freedom and we are so grateful for anyone defending our freedom.
Know that I am praying for the peace of God that surpasses all understanding for you and that one day we will all meet in Heaven where we will rest in the arms of Jesus.
If you need someone to talk to or someone to pray with please call my Pastor at Gateway Community Church, Reverand John Pearrell 11677 Brown Bridge Rd Covington Ga. 30016 Phone 770- 787- 1015 (fax)770-787-8215.Your friend in Jesus Christ, Polly Ballew
Anderson Memorial Park Cemetery/ Burial Vaults Co.
February 5, 2009
We extend our deepest condolences for your family’s loss.
Matt Wright
August 15, 2008
Matt,
It's hard to believe it has been five years since we laid you to rest. I still think about it every day. Including my service in Iraq in 2004, your funeral was the hardest thing I particpated in during my time in the Marines (not to mention my life). I miss arguing with you, and debating things that did (and did not) really matter. I'm still in contact with Staff Sgt Tiffany, now Gunnery Sgt Tiffany, and he always ask about your family. Your absence is still felt, all these years later. Though the memories of the times we shared with you will forever be with us, it still feels like you should be here to share them.
I got out of the Marines last June and have found life has pretty much returned to normal. I hope your family has found peace in the fact that you were a great man and an even better Marine.
I miss you Devil Duck!
Cpl Matt Wright
Kilo Co. 3rd Battalion/24 Marines
Becky Coy
June 28, 2008
Our thoughts and prayers are with and we thank god everyday for brave men & women like your soldier for defending our country. We are building a wall in honor of all those who have lost their lives in Iraq & Afghanistan. It's called Wall of Heroes. If you would like more information please contact me at [email protected].
The Neal family
May 14, 2008
To the family of Lance Cpl. Smith,
Please know that just as your loved one will remain in your hearts and minds, his sacrifice and that of your family, will remain with the people he died defending. Words cannot express the gratitude we feel for his bravery and selflessness, or the heartache we feel for your loss. God grant you the peace that passes all understanding.
In Memory of Matthew ~ (Debra Estep)
May 12, 2008
Holding you all in my thoughts and prayers.
The Wind on The Downs
“I like to think of you as brown and tall,
As strong and living as you used to be,
In khaki tunic, Sam Brown belt and all,
And standing there and laughing down at me.
Because they tell me, dear, that you are dead,
Because I can no longer see your face,
You have not died, it is not true, instead
You seek adventure in some other place.
That you are round about me, I believe;
I hear you laughing as you used to do,
Yet loving all the things I think of you;
And knowing you are happy, should I grieve?
You follow and are watchful where I go.”
(Written by Marian Allen during World War l )
Two lines that I wish you to keep near your heart…….
“You seek adventure in some other place.
That you are round about me, I believe”
I did not know Matthew, but I am remembering
his service. He is my hero. !
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The Other Side
i'm over on the other side
where life and death softly divide.
left my skin and bones behind
now i'm over on the other side.
can you feel me there with you?
my breath is gone but i'm not through.
loved you then and i still do
from over on the other side.
i can fly. really fly.
below the earth ... all through the sky.
tell em all i did not die.
i'm just over on the other side.
it's good here on the other side.
the sweetest songs...the bluest skies.
thank you for the tears you cried
but it's good here on the other side.
i can fly. really fly. below the earth...all through the sky.
tell em all i did not die.
i'm just over on the other side
the world is smaller than a needle's eye.
where life and death softly divide.
when you leave your skin and bones behind
i'll be waiting on the other side.
i can fly. really fly. below the earth ... all through the sky.
go tell em all i did not die.
i'm just over on the other side.
Song lyrics by Don Conoscenti
C Desert Muse/SESAC
www.donconoscenti.com
(Used with permission)
“I hope it brings great comfort to any and all.
Peace on you. DonCon” 4-2008
Visit this link to hear the song.
The Other Side –
http://tinyurl.com/3o8gol
Sincerely,
Deb Estep ~ Ohio
Proud Air Force Mom and MIL
Remembering The Fallen – Blog
http://tinyurl.com/3z8p55
Please contact me and I will email you back a copy of my
Angel and soldier drawing I have shared here.
November 15, 2007
You are remembered and respected. Thank you Lance Cpl Smith!
August 4, 2007
I don't pretend to know what to say or do that would bring you peace in your time of sorrow, but I will offer my heart felt condolences. I also offer you my prayers that in time the pain will easy and the memories of your HERO will carry you through each day and night. I want to thank your HERO, for his/her selfless act of becoming a member of the armed forces, his/her willingness to defend the United States of America, all that we hold sacred and for the sacrifice that will forever be etched in the memories of all those who knew him/her. Though tears can never bring him/her back, we hope that our tears express our gratitude for the sacrifice that he/she made and our sorrow at his/her passing. I believe for every fallen HERO there is a star shining brightly up above to remind us of the precious gift we were given.
Your mission on earth is complete and you are now a member of GOD’s Heavenly armed forces. Stand down brave warrior and take your rightful place in Heaven with all the HEROES who have passed before.
I made a special promise to LE RON A. WILSON (KIA on 07/06/07) on the day he was laid to rest as I touched his coffin, that I would never forget him nor would I forget those that gave their lives for our country before him, with him and after him and so when I came across www.legacy.com, I thought what a great way to keep my promise to Le Ron, so I will continue to leave tributes in each guest book until the day there is no longer the need to leave these tributes to a FALLEN HERO.
REST IN PEACE, HERO, YOU WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN!!
PROUD MOTHER OF A U.S. SOLDIER
Althea Barrett(Queens, NY)
July 6, 2007
Thank you for the sacrifice made by Lance Cpl Smith and the sacrifice made by everyone who loves and misses him! May God bless all of you!!
Aunt of a Lance Cpl Marine about to deploy
Linda Flannery
June 7, 2007
Remembering and honoring a brave Marine. You are not forgotten, Lance Cpl Smith.
May your family find comfort in their loving memories.
Rest in Peace. My flag flies in your honor.
Garnet Jenkins
May 9, 2007
May the Peace of God and your precious memories of Lance Cpl. Matthew R. Smith, remain in your heart always.
Please know how deeply sorry I was, to learn of the loss of your Brave Young Marine. A Multitude of Thanks, for his Courage, Dedication and Service to our Country and for Freedom.
Those who Made this Ultimate Sacrifice, So Many and So Young, shall Never Be Forgotten, my brother among them. Killed in action in Vietnam in 1967.
"Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." - John 15:13
You are in my thoughts and prayers.
Me and Matt at the Marine Ball, Nov. 2002.
April 5, 2007
Karen Hickman
January 14, 2007
I am so sorry for the loss of Cpl. Matthew R. Smith. If there are brothers or Sisters, please contact me. I am the Founder of Gold Star Siblings, Inc.
God Bless.
Glen Nevogt
January 13, 2007
“Paid in Full”
To Honor The Service of Fallen and Injured Marines
Marines through and through, they paid the price
Six thousand miles away, we live the life
For which they paid with their blood, spirits and bodies
We will never forget what they paid in full
We hope and we pray that somehow their loved ones find comfort
In God, in the flag, in the memory of their loved ones’ bravery
They’re gone now but we see them still…proud, strong, willing
Covering each other’s backs… courageous, moving forward
What kind of love did they have for us to be willing
To give it all for the Black, White, Jew, Christian, Muslim?
We don’t comprehend but we honor you now and forever
You are Our Marines…some living…some not
Forever in our hearts we will cherish your lives
Lives too short yet immortal they’ll be
Highest brotherhood of the Few, the Proud
They stand at attention, and we gaze with awe
Some know their names not, but our admiration for them
Flows limitless within us, between us
They sacrificed their limbs or their lives
Freedom still rings, a soft sound across the miles
It tolls slowly; all of creation takes note
Of the lives that were lost for people unknown
Out of sight but not lost; forever among us
The starched blues marching straight
Toward the place where we will meet them
Many years from now…how we loved them…
Well done beloved Brothers and Sisters…You’ve paid it in full
Always Faithful Marines, You Have Paid it in Full
Gary Allain
December 7, 2006
Lance Cpl. Matthew R. Smith
you are my hero
may god keep you in his arms forever.
Tom Gugliuzza-Smith
March 4, 2006
My heartfelt sympathy to the Smith family in the loss of Matthew. I did not know Matthew, but my heart is broken and I am saddened for your loss of such a fine young person and hero. May God bring you peace in your heart as you reflect on all the wonderful memories you hold so close. Please know that you are in my heart and prayers. Matthew May 10th will be 3 yers since you were taken. You are a hero and you will never be forgotten.
I send each of you a hug from the most inner part of my heart.
Love and Peace
Tom
To live in the hearts
of those you leave behind
is never to die"
~Robert Orr~
Melinda Stanley
February 1, 2006
Lance Cpl. Smith,
Oorah!
Thank you so much for fighting for my freedom. I've never thought of, or had, hero's in my life. But I do now. What would this country be like, if it were not for countrymen like you? You make me proud to be an American. I've lost one of your brother-in-arms, my nephew, Lance M. Thompson in Ramadi. I grieve for you and your family. "To live in the hearts we leave behind, is not to die" (Thomas Campbell). You will never, ever be forgotten. Earth hath no sorry, that Heaven cannot heal.
Nicole Kenefic
October 24, 2005
Lcpl Smith's was in the same unit as my husband Sgt Kenefic. This was the first military funeral I had ever been at and what a hug effect it had on me. Unfortunitly I've been to multiple Military funerals since and I can't help but think about Matt each time. While my husband is currently on his second depolyment in Iraq I think about Matt and his great impact he had on so many people. This impact is also prevelant when you walk into the drill center at Grissom and see Smith's picture before anything else! I hope and pray that he is looking over his fellow Marines to bring them home saftly.
Matt will always be with us!
EDDIE HUMPHREY
October 6, 2005
I JUST WANTED TO SAY HOW SORRY I AM FOR YOUR LOSS.I WISH I COULD SAY SOMETHING TO TAKE AWAY YOUR HURT, BUT I CAN NOT. I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR RASING A SON LIKE MATTHEW WHO WANTED TO SERVE HIS COUNTRY & GAVE THE SUPREME SACRIFICE.MAY GOD BLESS YOU ALWAYS. EDDIE HUMPHREY
felicia cruz
May 16, 2005
Hi my name is Felicia Cruz (SGT)USMC and i served with your son in Iraq in 2003. He was in my platoon.I remember being one of the last ones to see him .He came to me and asked me for a radio for a convoy that he was going on the next day.I said to him as i say to all my marines to be careful.His memory will always be remembered as he was a good,proud marine and a good person.I think about him often and my prayers go out to you and your family.In the short time i knew lcpl smith he touched my life and the life of others and will never be forgotten.
Dana (Hall) Knudsen
May 29, 2003
To Matt's family and friends you are in my thoughts and prayers at this difficult time, i am so sorry for your loss.
Kim Gustin
May 22, 2003
I want to convey how sorry I am for your loss. Our country will forever be in your debt.
I also want to thank you for allowing me to learn about who Matt was by granting me an interview for the Pendleton Times.
I must congratulate you on raising a fine up-standing young man. It would appear he left a huge mark on the lives of all who knew him and he will truely live on forever through the actions and deeds of those people.
I will continue to lift up your family in prayer and I will "Pay It Forward" for Matt.
Respectfully, Kim Gustin
Keith & Melissa Purkey
May 21, 2003
You are in our thoughts, hearts & prayers. I appreciate your sacrifice, the price was high.
Jonathan Valentine
May 20, 2003
I didn't get to know Matt until high school, specifically our senior year. During homecoming, he was at my house every single night working on the float. He would often get out there before me and be waiting for the door to be unlocked. He had no obligation to be there, but he wanted to be there. He cared about the class and never complained about task given to him.
Matt was one of a kind in all he did. I truly feel honored to call him a friend. Matt will be forever missed, but will never forgotten. His sacrifice to his country, family, and friends exemplifies all he was. Thank you Matt.
Chief Warrant Officer Four (Retired) Dallas E. Young
May 19, 2003
Dear Family of Matthew Robert Smith, I did not know Lance Corporal Smith, however as a Retired Soldier, I consider him a member of my family as well. I will forever be grateful for the sacrifice he gave protecting me and the members of my family. My prayers are with him and with you. God Bless.
Susan Bragg
May 19, 2003
I am so sorry for your loss. I know how you are feeling. If you want to talk please call 425-6654.
Rebecca Bryant
May 19, 2003
The Department of History at Indiana University would like to express our deepest condolences to Matthew's family and friends.
jane-hwei lee
May 19, 2003
I first met Matt in my Comparative Literature class my freshman semester at IUB. We quickly became the best of friends, talking and joking about all aspects of our life. We would both procrastinate on writing our papers, then keep each other awake the night and morning before our papers were due. He was the sweetest, nicest, and funniest guy I have ever met, and I will never forget him. I love and miss ya, macchu....
Lindsay Knepp
May 18, 2003
He was such a good friend. He was always there when I needed him. The last time I saw him was when I helped him move into his apartment in the fall.
I'll always remember how much fun we had at the Prom and how we was always fun to be around no matter what he was doing.
Due to my own military duty, I can't be home for the funeral, but I wish more than anything that I could be there.
I'll always remember him.
Lindsay Knepp
Sarah Mckay-Harvey
May 16, 2003
Matthew is one in a million. There's no way to tell you how wonderful he is. I spent quite a bit of time with him last summer, before moving to TX, and loved every minute of it. Even though we were 1180 miles apart, Matt always kept in touch. Being a military wife is keeping me from being able to attend the services. My deepest sympathy,
Sarah
Matt: I love you with all of my heart. You'll forever be my "handsome marine"
Etta Love
May 16, 2003
Want to say from our whole group
Mothers Of the Military that we are each and every one very sorry for your loss. But by the grace of God it could have been any of us. We are here for you if needed.
May God with you
Etta
Lauren Barr
May 16, 2003
I didn't meet Matt until my senior year of high school, but during that year he became a very good friend of mine. He was so smart and loved to talk about philosophy and religion. I'll always remember his great impression of Mr. Thomas. I'm really sorry that we lost touch after graduation. My sympathy and prayers go out to his family.
Michael Miller
May 16, 2003
I am very sorry to hear of your loss please accept my condolences.
Patrick Ford
May 15, 2003
Matt was one of my very best friends throughout high school. Early on, being in german class together, and much more later as a fellow rugby player and captain. He exposed me to new things, and helped me become a better, more whole person. I will miss him, as will anyone who knew him and this entire country. Thanks Matt, for always being there, and I won't forget you.
Brown-Butz-Diedring Funeral Home
May 15, 2003
Offering our deepest condolences during this difficult time.
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