At 28, Smith entered the U.S. Army Jan. 13, 1944, and was killed 10 months later. Smith was a private serving with Company G, 110th Infantry Regiment, First Army, in the Hurtgen Forest at the time he was seriously wounded on November 10, 1944, stated 2nd Lt. Edward L. Stahl, the assistant personnel officer for Smith's unit, in a letter dated June 22, 1945, to the dead soldier's wife, Inez Smith. On July 15, 1939, Smith married the former Inez Bell of Copperas Cove.
"His wound consisted of a gunshot in the side. He was immediately treated and then taken to a clearing hospital for further emergency treatment," the lieutenant wrote. "He succumbed to this wound and expired on the same date, November 10, 1944, at Roten, Germany."
The Lieutenant told Smith’s wife that her husband had been given a military funeral by a chaplain of his faith and was laid to rest November 13, 1944, in Henri Chapelle No. 1, the American cemetery in Belgium.
"May I extend to you my sincerest sympathy and condolences in your loss," the lieutenant wrote. "You have lost a fine husband, and it is to be said that Olan distinguished himself by his superior service as a soldier and by his excellent character."
Smith, one of six sons and four daughters of Julius L. and Roberta “Robbie” Smith, grew up on a ranch in Copperas Cove.
In January 1948, his body was transferred from Belgium and buried in the Copperas Cove Cemetery, said 82-year-old Jettie Cash of Lampasas, Smith's only surviving sibling.
"Olan was my buddy," said Cash, noting he was three years her senior.
According to Cash, her brother could have stayed home and farmed but opted to leave his wife and two small girls, Mary Ann and Donna, to serve his country during World War II.
"I asked him why he chose to go in the Army rather than to stay home and work his ranch," Cash said. "He was my buddy and always kidded around with me. At first he said, `So that when you become a big, fat, gray-haired woman, you won't have to work so hard. Then he got serious and said `Because our government needs us and we have to go.'
"But he didn't make it back," said the choked-up Cash. "Olan had a short life. He was only 28 when he was killed. I knew it was bad over there, because we lost several men from Copperas Cove in that war."
Describing her brother, Cash said, "He was a very happy-go-lucky young man, who was proud of his country and his family. He wrote real cheerful letters back to mother."
Growing up, she recalled, the only recreational activities they enjoyed back then in the city of 300 people were jackrabbit hunting and horseback riding.
In school, she and her brother were very competitive, especially during spelling bees.
"Olan was the only person in school that I couldn't out-spell. They never put us on the same spelling team," said Cash, noting she did eventually enjoy one win over her brother.
Olan’s niece, Maudine Pate said it was Thanksgiving Day, and the family had all gathered at her grandparents' home in Copperas Cove when they got the word of her uncle's death. She remembered the two soldiers in uniform delivering the news.
"At first, the Army said Olan was missing in action, and then came back and said he was dead Pate said. "Olan was a nice, sweet person," she recalled. "We didn’t have televisions back then, so instead, we all used to get together a lot as a family.
Westbrook remembers he uncle as a kind and gentle man who was always around helping her father, Smith's older brother John W., on his farm.
"Olan would come up to our house and help me drive our team of horse to gather corn, Westbrook said.
"Olan was always a fun-loving young man and at times he would tease quite a bit," said Westbrook who had graduated high school and was in Dallas working on air planes when her uncle left for the war.
Even after Smith had children of his own, Westbrook said, he didn't change and continued to tease everyone else's kids.
"It was a sad occasion when Olan was killed in the war, and we all miss him," Westbrook said. "Good memories last forever."
Only one person — Olan Forrest Smith — was ever mentioned 4 ½ decades ago, when members of the local Veterans of Foreign Wars were looking to name Post 8577.
"Back then to us, he (Smith) was a hero, and we were honored to have somebody locally to name the post after," said 75-year-old Myrtle Hummer, the wife of the late Thurmond Hummer, a former Marine who spearheaded the organization of VFW Post 8577 in 1955.
"I didn't meet Olan personally, but from what I have heard of him, he seemed like a guy who loved his country, and the VFW was well desiring to be named after him," said Myrtle Hummer of Copperas Cove.
"His wound consisted of a gunshot in the side. He was immediately treated and then taken to a clearing hospital for further emergency treatment," the lieutenant wrote. "He succumbed to this wound and expired on the same date, November 10, 1944, at Roten, Germany."
The Lieutenant told Smith’s wife that her husband had been given a military funeral by a chaplain of his faith and was laid to rest November 13, 1944, in Henri Chapelle No. 1, the American cemetery in Belgium.
"May I extend to you my sincerest sympathy and condolences in your loss," the lieutenant wrote. "You have lost a fine husband, and it is to be said that Olan distinguished himself by his superior service as a soldier and by his excellent character."
Smith, one of six sons and four daughters of Julius L. and Roberta “Robbie” Smith, grew up on a ranch in Copperas Cove.
In January 1948, his body was transferred from Belgium and buried in the Copperas Cove Cemetery, said 82-year-old Jettie Cash of Lampasas, Smith's only surviving sibling.
"Olan was my buddy," said Cash, noting he was three years her senior.
According to Cash, her brother could have stayed home and farmed but opted to leave his wife and two small girls, Mary Ann and Donna, to serve his country during World War II.
"I asked him why he chose to go in the Army rather than to stay home and work his ranch," Cash said. "He was my buddy and always kidded around with me. At first he said, `So that when you become a big, fat, gray-haired woman, you won't have to work so hard. Then he got serious and said `Because our government needs us and we have to go.'
"But he didn't make it back," said the choked-up Cash. "Olan had a short life. He was only 28 when he was killed. I knew it was bad over there, because we lost several men from Copperas Cove in that war."
Describing her brother, Cash said, "He was a very happy-go-lucky young man, who was proud of his country and his family. He wrote real cheerful letters back to mother."
Growing up, she recalled, the only recreational activities they enjoyed back then in the city of 300 people were jackrabbit hunting and horseback riding.
In school, she and her brother were very competitive, especially during spelling bees.
"Olan was the only person in school that I couldn't out-spell. They never put us on the same spelling team," said Cash, noting she did eventually enjoy one win over her brother.
Olan’s niece, Maudine Pate said it was Thanksgiving Day, and the family had all gathered at her grandparents' home in Copperas Cove when they got the word of her uncle's death. She remembered the two soldiers in uniform delivering the news.
"At first, the Army said Olan was missing in action, and then came back and said he was dead Pate said. "Olan was a nice, sweet person," she recalled. "We didn’t have televisions back then, so instead, we all used to get together a lot as a family.
Westbrook remembers he uncle as a kind and gentle man who was always around helping her father, Smith's older brother John W., on his farm.
"Olan would come up to our house and help me drive our team of horse to gather corn, Westbrook said.
"Olan was always a fun-loving young man and at times he would tease quite a bit," said Westbrook who had graduated high school and was in Dallas working on air planes when her uncle left for the war.
Even after Smith had children of his own, Westbrook said, he didn't change and continued to tease everyone else's kids.
"It was a sad occasion when Olan was killed in the war, and we all miss him," Westbrook said. "Good memories last forever."
Only one person — Olan Forrest Smith — was ever mentioned 4 ½ decades ago, when members of the local Veterans of Foreign Wars were looking to name Post 8577.
"Back then to us, he (Smith) was a hero, and we were honored to have somebody locally to name the post after," said 75-year-old Myrtle Hummer, the wife of the late Thurmond Hummer, a former Marine who spearheaded the organization of VFW Post 8577 in 1955.
"I didn't meet Olan personally, but from what I have heard of him, he seemed like a guy who loved his country, and the VFW was well desiring to be named after him," said Myrtle Hummer of Copperas Cove.
