Monroe City, MO — Ben Smith didn’t mind being told his head was in the clouds. Every second in the air, be it a dream or the real thing, was another moment he didn’t have to spend on the ground. The community that Smith left in the service of his country and returned to as a fallen hero plans a special honor. The Monroe City Airport, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary, will be renamed Capt. Ben Smith Airfield at a public ceremony on Oct. 4. The airport is just south of Monroe City on Highway 24. The date would have been Smith’s 34th birthday.
Smith and five others were killed on Nov. 7, 2003, when the Black Hawk helicopter he was piloting was shot down near Tikrit, Iraq. He was 29. Smith’s mother, Kathy, recalls a conversation she had with her son not long before he died. “He said ‘If God wants me, He’d better take me in that helicopter because that’s what I love to do,’” she said. “I believe he meant every word of it. He died doing what he loved to do.” Smith was the kind of guy who could be everybody’s best friend. Family, home, country and God were all important parts of his life. He was fond of telling buddies in the Army’s 101st Airborne Division about growing up on a pig farm and attending the Swinkey Picnic. He nicknamed his rusty truck “Pee-Wee.”
At West Point, Smith studied hard, but always found time to boost the spirits of a fellow cadet or tutor a classmate who needed help. Smith’s wife, Maggie, also was a helicopter pilot and shared his love of the air. The wives and girlfriends of men in Smith’s command often were jealous because he bought Maggie flowers every week. Kathy Smith said her son was “not one to seek attention,” but believes he would have been proud to have his name adorn the airport. The city was happy to oblige. “It’s an opportunity to honor a young man who gave his life to defend his country, and we’re honored to name the airport for him,” said city administrator Jim Burns. “We encourage people to come out.”
Local pilot Dennis Spalding was part of the group that spearheaded the effort. Spalding’s father, George, was involved in developing the airport. Six months ago, Lake Gazette publisher Linda Geist called Dennis Spalding. She asked about the anniversary and for his thoughts on paying tribute to Smith. Spalding liked the idea, and the two put the wheels in motion. “It was an opportunity to come up with a fitting way to acknowledge Ben’s contribution to the community and the nation,” Spalding said. “He was quite the man.”
The Oct. 4 festivities begin with a fly-in at 6 a.m. A pancake breakfast will be served at 7 and the posting of the colors and national anthem will take place at 9. Free airplane flights for the Young Eagles Ground School and a barbecue by the Indian Creek and Monroe City Knights of Columbus both get underway at 10:30. The dedication is at 11 a.m. in Coleman’s hangar. Black Hawk and Apache helicopters and other aircraft will be on display. Soldiers, family, friends, classmates and residents of the area also will participate. “We’re a small community and the whole town has been involved in making this work,” Kathy Smith said. “We’re honored and we couldn’t be more pleased with the support from the community.”
~ from Hannibal Courier-Post (
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Army Capt. Benedict J. Smith
29, of Monroe City, Missouri.
Smith died when the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter he was in was shot down by unknown enemy ordnance in Tikrit, Iraq. He was assigned to 101st Aviation Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Died on November 7, 2003.
~ from Fallen Heroes Memorial (
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