James Edward (Ed) Smith, 78, of Jefferson City, Missouri, passed away on Friday, April 28, 2025, at the Missouri Veterans Home in Mount Vernon.

Ed was born December 31, 1946, in Springfield, Missouri, the son of R.V. (Victor) Smith and Mildred (Chaffin) Smith. He attended Kickapoo (now Disney) Elementary School, Parkview High, and graduated from Glendale High School in 1964. Ed chose to place his faith in Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior during his school years. He took woodshop and metal shop in junior high and high school, and was gifted at both. After studying at Graff Vocational-Technical School, he

worked at the General Electric motor plant as a machinist apprentice. From his earnings, he purchased a 1965 Mustang GT, beautiful blue with white leather interior (he used his skills to install two airplane landing lights on the car’s bumper). He earned his private pilot’s license at the Springfield Downtown Airport at the age of 19.

Ed loved his country, and enlisted in the United States Army in 1967, volunteering to serve in Vietnam. He graduated from the US Army Aviation Flight School at Fort Rucker, Alabama, for helicopter pilot training. In Vietnam, Ed served as a combat pilot with the 1 st Calvary Division, Bravo Company, 227 th Aviation Battalion.

Next, he was an Army Instructor Pilot at Fort Wolters, Texas, where he met the love of his life, Linda, or as Ed called her, his little Texas souvenir. They married on November 7, 1970, in Fort Worth, and soon moved back to Springfield. Ed was a machinist for Paul Mueller Company as well as for Holloway Machine Company. He also joined the Missouri Army National Guard and continued a long and successful career as an Army Aviator. Ed went to college as he worked, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management at Tarkio College.

Over his forty-year career with the Army and the Missouri Army National Guard, Ed was qualified to fly rotary as well as fixed-wing aircraft. He flew the following rotary aircraft: UH-1 Huey, AH-1 Cobra, OH-58D Kiowa, and the UH-60 Blackhawk.

He flew the following fixed-wing aircraft: U-8 Queen Air, C-7 Caribou, and the C- 12. Ed was rated as an Instrument Flight Examiner, Maintenance Test Pilot, Instructor Pilot, Aviation Safety Officer, Detachment Commander for DET40 (C-12 Detachment), and Facility Supervisor at the Senator Kit Bond Army Aviation Support Facility at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.

When the Army increased the Warrant Officers ranks to CW5, Ed was the first CW5 in the Missouri Army National Guard.

Ed started his career being deployed right out of Army flight school to a combat zone in Vietnam.  Ed ended his career being deployed in 2004 to another combat zone in Kuwait and Iraq.  There Ed served with 1107th AVCRAD in Operation Iraqi Freedom II.

Over his career, Ed earned the Bronze Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, 43 Air Medals with Oak Leaf Clusters, The Legion of Merit award, Master Army Aviator Badge, and many other medals, awards, citations, and honors. Ed accumulated\ over 10,648 hours in Army aircraft, not including his post-retirement civilian job as an Air Methods EVAC pilot or his civilian flight hours in various private aircraft.

Ed and Linda spent 53 beautiful years together. They had an amazing life, not only for the things they experienced and the places around the world where they traveled, but also for the lives they touched, and the people they helped.

Together they made a difference in many people’s lives. It was always fun to be around both of them, and it was something to look forward to every time.

Ed and Linda both enjoyed being a part of the VFW Post family in Jefferson City, Ed was a great “fix-it guy,” repairing and restoring what was needed.. He made people feel important and valued by the way he treated them. Ed also faithfully served in the VFW Honor Guard, an organization that performs in 100-120 funerals yearly. He respected the family of the veterans who had passed, even making beautiful walnut flag cases for some of the families.

Ed made many trips on the Honor Flights to Washington, DC, for veterans of World War II, Korea, and Vietnam, serving as a guardian for other vets. Ed participated in the “Wreaths for Heroes” program at the large National Veterans Cemetery in Jefferson City, which has over 1.700 graves. Ed would salute each veteran as he laid the wreath on their grave. Ed considered it a sacred honor to take part in that work every year.

Ed will be remembered for many things, but the way he loved Linda, his family, and those around him are some of the greatest achievements of his life.

Survivors include his three sisters, Anne Jones (Jim) of Crane, Mo., Marti Smith of Springfield, Mo., and Linda Kirchner (Keith) of Springfield, Mo., his brother Randall Smith (Theresa) of Billings, Mo., long-term “adopted family” Kelly and Janice Martin and their family of Springfield, Mo., and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife Linda Smith, his father R.V. (Victor) Smith and his mother Mildred Ivon Smith.

Visitation will be held in the Main Chapel at Greenlawn East Funeral Home in Springfield, Missouri, on Friday, May 2, 2025, at 11:00 am, followed by his Memorial Service at 12:00 noon. Graveside services will be held immediately afterwards at 2:00 pm at the Missouri Veterans Cemetery at 5201 South Southwood Road, Springfield, Mo.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Veterans of Foreign Wars, Basinger/Sone Memorial Post 1003, 105 Irwin Drive, Jefferson City, Mo,

65109.