Edgar Clifton Smith was born on December 29, 1924, in Iowa, the son of Theodore W. Smith and Leona Maxine (Reineke) Smith. He grew up in Atlantic, Iowa, and attended Atlantic High School. On December 30, 1942, one day after his eighteenth birthday, Smith registered for the World War II draft. His registration listed his employment with the Iowa State Guard at Camp Dodge, Iowa. He entered military service from Iowa on May 30, 1943.

Private First Class Edgar C. Smith served in the United States Marine Corps Reserve with Company L, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force. PFC Smith was killed in action on Peleliu in the Palau Islands on September 20, 1944, five days after the battle began. The fighting was intense, as American forces faced heavily fortified Japanese positions and suffered heavy casualties. He was just 19 years old.

Following the war, Smith’s family made their home in Torrance. The 1946 Torrance City Directory lists his parents at 1754 Cabrillo Avenue, with his father employed as a crane operator for the National Supply Company. By the 1950 U.S. Census, his parents and youngest brother were living at 1882 Gramercy in Torrance.

PFC Smith is buried at Roosevelt Memorial Park in Gardena, California, where his parents were also later laid to rest. His name was included in a 1946 Torrance Herald compilation honoring local servicemen who lost their lives during World War II and was later memorialized on the Torrance Veterans Memorial Wall.

Researched by Craig Bilezerian.