Keith Smith's documents to increase service connection

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Notes of The Process:

• If you have Letters Home, put them in chronological order. 

• Make a 2-3 sentence synopsis of each letter.

• Put the originals in a safe place. 

• We also included sources to help make the case that Keith was exposed. If  you were in the same area as Keith, feel free to use our links. 

• If you were stationed in a different area, simply search the area with the additional phrase Agent Orange behind the location. An example could be- "Ma Da Vietnam Agent Orange" - For this example, the following information was found. The article that was found using this search method is hyperlinked for you. 

Notes:  Approximately 259,000 acres of mangroves were sprayed, with about one-third of the mangroves vital to the coastal ecology damaged or entirely destroyed. Of the upland forests sprayed, the hardest hit were the dense forests of Ma Da, Phu Binh, Sa Thay, A Luoi and along Route 19.

Source: The Environmental Impact of Agent Orange- Ecocidal Warfare- 

Keith Smith's Letters Home-  

• Vietnam-07/24/1968-03/1970      • In Vietnam 11/29/1968-12/01/1969

02/1968-10/29/1968

Training

08/19/1969-

Passed marksman test-40/84, PT test-425/500, 6:19 mile run, 48 ladder jump, 150 yd carry-37 seconds.

11/29 & 11/30/1968-

On way to Bien Hoa, Vietnam. Assigned to 101st Airborne (364 days left)

Notes: Bien Hoa was one of the main depots for storing Agent Orange during the war. Source: “Agent Orange Clean Up” by Hillary Leung, Time Magazine, April 22, 2019. 

12/10/1968-

In 501st Infantry-On base

12/10/1968-

Permanent Station Assignment-Hue, Vietnam. 101st Airborne-14 killed

Notes: Hue, Vietnam is the site of an exhibition of Agent Orange destruction. Source: “Hue Exhibition Shows US Legacy” by Vo Thanh, VN Express News, , 10/26/2018

12/14/1968-

Transferred to Company E- 35 miles south of DMZ at Firebase Birmingham, Hue, Vietnam. Assigned Recon Patrol (349 days left)

Notes: Site of Agent Orange spraying. Source: U.S. Dept. of Army

12/15/1968-

20 miles from ocean, 10 miles west of Hue, Vietnam, 30 miles south of DMZ, at Firebase Birmingham.

Jumping out of helicopters.

12/18/1968-

1st mission-Raid on village. 31 on mission. 3 days on hill.

12/19/1968-

Mountains of Lao Cai. Flown in by helicopter. Bombed hill. Guard duty.

12/24/1968-

6 days in deep jungle.

12/30/1968-

Still in jungle. Radioman. Jumped out of helicopter.

01/1969-

At Phu Bai (south of Hue, Vietnam). Co E 2/501st Infantry-101 Airborne

01/01-03/1969-

5-10 day mission, setting up ambushes near river. Very dangerous place, assigned to recon.

01/07/1969-

In field 7 days. 1 day off. Ambushed and rain. Tet Offensive to start.

01/13 & 17/1969-

Back in field. 22-35 in platoon. Helicopter jumping.

01/20/1969-

Stayed at base. Filled sandbags. Attacked by mortar. 25 bombs. Hill duty. Charlie Company.

01/24/1969-

Stayed on in jungle on a hill for 2 months. (3 days at a time). Wears red beret (101st Airborne)

01/25/1969-

On chopper. On top of hill throwing grenades. Threw 19 in one night.

02/06/1969-

In field 6 days. Monsoons. 10 more days. Tet is close-1 hour away. Radio guy.

02/09/1969-

In field. Setting up ambushes. Within 1 hour of VC.  Wears red beret. Back at Firebase.

02/10/1969-

Monsoons. On Recon. Found VC encampment.

2/11/1969-

At Camp Eagle, SE of Hue, On mountains total of 45-60 days

02/14/1969-

Back to Mountains of Lao Cai. Supposed to leave in 3 days. Rappelling out of helicopter.

02/17/1969-

6 days in field. Tet to start. Up for Specialist 4th class.

02/21/1969-

4-day mission with ARUN’s, ages 17-20. Nam Hoa mission to last 12 days.

02/26/1969-

In field 9 days. Going into A Sau Valley (in Hue Province) the 28th. SP4 pay starts 2/10/1968.

03/05 or 06/1969-

Promoted a total of 3 times. Leaving for A Sau Valley (in Hue Province). Marines & Special Forces wiped out. Will be there 30-60 days.

03/11/1969-

Waiting to chopper into A Sau Valley.  11 killed.

04/10/1969-

Writing from hospital. 22nd surgery unit in Phu Bai. Was on patrol in A Sau Valley. RPG 1 ft from Keith. Shrapnel in back of head. Went through helmet. Will go to Da Nang after hospital stay.

04/15/1969-

Still in hospital in Chu Lai

04/19/1969-

Still in hospital at Chu Lai. 101st Divison was in A Sau Valley. 223 days left.

05/04/1969-

In A Sau Valley. 8 days Recon with Cobra Company. Cut finger badly. Carrying TNT to blow up trees.

05/10/1969-

Back in field at A Sau Valley, but closer North to DMZ. Wound is in back left side of head.

05/12/1969-

Went to Australia. Getting new guys in platoon. Almost hit on hill. 29 dead, 53 wounded, 2 missing. In DMZ.

198 days left.

05/19/1969-

Shot by mortar a couple times. Wound is healing.

05/25/1969-

Dropped off at A Sau Valley. Firebase Airborne 2/501st– 30 killed, 65 wounded in 2.5 hours. Now on Hamburger Hill. 2/506th-overrun in daytime. 3/187th- over 40 killed, 290 wounded in 5 days. 187th tried to take it. 501st came after. 187 days left.

05/28/1969-

Still on Hamburger Hill. Was on CBS News coverage of Hamburger Hill- On air 05/31 or 06/01.

06/01/1969-

Still on Hamburger Hill. Out in field. NVA’s not cowards like VC’s. Part of Operation Apache Snow.

06/03/1969-

Operation Apache Snow will be done the 6th or 7th.  Can’t go much further north. 178 days left.

Notes: The US Army dropped more than 1,088 tons of bombs, 142 tons of napalm, 31,000 rounds of 20 mm shells, and 513 tons of teargas. Source:

“Why the Battle for Hamburger Hill was so Controversial” by Barbara Maranzani, History Channel

06/14/1969- 

Is wounded and has malaria from stint on Hamburger Hill. In hospital. 173 days left.

06/14/1969-

Hospital again. Malaria. In 93rd Evac in Bien Hoa. Was in Van Tau. Headache, fever of 105, back pain, and weak. Received Purple Heart.

06/17/1969-

Temp down to 100. Headache & lower back pain. Diagnosed with malaria. 2 pills 3 X a day.

06/22/1969-

Still in hospital. 

06/25/1969-

Still has fever. When well enough will paint and fill sandbags. Has been in Vietnam 7 months. 5 more to go.

150 days left.

07/04/1969-

Still in hospital. Infection in kidneys. Will be painting until at least 07/21.

07/18/1969-

Still has kidney infection. Working for the hospital. When done will go back north. 

07/23 or 24/1969-

Still painting hospital.

08/01/1969-

Left A Sau Valley and back in flatlands as Recon. Concerned about kidneys and results for malaria and kidney infections.

08/07/1969-

Had malaria. In bed 12 days. Lost 18#. Going back to A Sau Valley.

08/12/1969-

Out in field with 27 guys. Radio guy. Received Purple Heart and Army Accommodation. 108 days left.

08/20/1969-

Waiting for choppers to take him out. Walking along streams for Recon. 101 days left.

08/25/1969-

Still in field. At Firebase Bastogne, Vietnam. Going to A Sau or DMZ again. 95 days left.

08/26/1969-

Out in field 6 more days. Then to Da Nang. 63 days.

09/08/1969-

Ambush patrol. L2 Sally between Hue and Pu Bai. Going to DMZ near Quang Tri. Ho Chi Minh has died. 82 days.

09/14/1969-

Recon OP-56 on hill next to Phu Bai. Building bunkers. 75 days left.

10/01/1969-

Last day in field. Then to the rear for 58 days on Recon. Has been out for over 10 months. 

10/02/1969-

Going to Da Nang. Safer than other cities. 

10/04/1969-

Will be in Da Nang until 11/04. Generals are visiting. 56 days left.

10/17/1969-

In Da Nang. 5-5.5 hours of guard duty a night. 2 people per position, with 15 positions. Monsoon 17 days in a row.

11/14/1969-

Rappelled into A Sau Valley for 8 days. Also in Quang Tri.

12/25/1970-

Considered for West Point. Not really interested.