THE WALL OF FACES

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotions and spends himself in a great worthy cause; who at the best, knows in the end triumph of high achievement and, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while caring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold, timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat. Theodore Roosevelt

Dear Sgt David Smith, Thank you for your service as an Infantryman. Your 73rd birthday was yesterday, happy birthday. Saying thank you isn't enough, but it is from the heart. Winter will end soon, and it is Lent. Time moves quickly. Please watch over America, it stills needs your strength, courage, guidance and faithfulness, especially now. Rest in peace with the angels.

Sergeant David William Smith, Served with Company B, 2nd Battalion, 47th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 9th Infantry Division, United States Army Vietnam.

Dear SGT David William Smith, sir

As an American, I would like to thank you for your service and for your sacrifice made on behalf of our wonderful country. The youth of today could gain much by learning of heroes such as yourself, men and women whose courage and heart can never be questioned.

May God allow you to read this, and may He allow me to someday shake your hand when I get to Heaven to personally thank you. May he also allow my father to find you and shake your hand now to say thank you; for America, and for those who love you.

With respect, Sir

Curt Carter

In Honor of SGT. David William Smith, our 2nd-47th Brother: We who served so proudly with you want to let you know that we have established a Memorial Scholarship to honor your memory and the ultimate sacrifice that you and the other 195 brave soldiers of the 2nd-47th Mechanized Infantry made while serving our country in Vietnam in 1966-1970. Our wish is that this Memorial Scholarship conveys the highest tribute possible to each of you because it comes from the hearts of the soldiers who served with you. It represents the everlasting and inexpressible gratitude we feel for your sacrifice. We got to live the lives that you were deprived of, and this scholarship is one small way of expressing our sorrow for your loss and our appreciation for the magnitude of what you gave. Many of you brave young soldiers sacrificed your own lives to save one of us, and we have carried heartfelt memories of you for nearly four decades. This perpetual Memorial Scholarship is our way of being sure that the memories of love, honor, and respect we feel for you, our Panther Brothers lost in combat, will live on forever. [If you are a 2nd-47th veteran, or a friend or family member of one of our fallen Brothers, and would like more information about how to support or apply for our Memorial Scholarship, information is available at www.247scholarship.org ]