Edward A. Smith, born and resided in Wausau, Wisconsin, U.S.A. Was a salesman and book keeper for a fine clothier when the U.S. entered the war. He quickly enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps, and by June of 1942 was on a ship convoy to England and helped to establish the 1916th...Being of English ancestory he had a keen respect for the english people. He found them to be resreved, respectful and incredibly tough in the face of the economic crisis in England.. Their base was adjacent to a R.A.F. base and occasionally the Luftwaffe would secretly follow the R.A.F. bombers back from a night mission and then bomb their airfield...

Ed served in the 1916th for fifteen months and was rotated back to the U.S. to begin pre-flight training to be a bomber pilot.