Isaac D. Smith facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Isaac D. Smith
Smith pictured as a brigadier general
Born	(1932-05-02) 2 May 1932 (age 93) Wakefield, Louisiana, U.S.
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1950s–1989
Rank	Major general

Isaac D. Smith, born on May 2, 1932, was a very important leader in the United States Army. He reached the high rank of Major General.

Learning and Training

Isaac D. Smith was a student in the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) program at Southern University and A&M College. Here, he earned a degree in Agriculture. Later, he earned another degree, a Masters in Public Administration, from Shippensburg State College. He also took many special courses for military leaders. He even attended the U.S. Army War College, which is a top school for Army officers.

Important Army Jobs

General Smith held many important jobs during his time in the Army. These jobs included:

• Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel in the U.S. Army in Europe. This means he helped manage all the soldiers and staff there.
• Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Intelligence for Allied Forces in Central Europe. He helped plan missions and gather important information.
• Chief of the Doctrine and Systems Integration Division in Washington, D.C. He worked on how the Army should operate and use its systems.
• Chief of the Reserve Forces Division. He helped with the Army's reserve soldiers.
• Commanding General of the U.S. Army Second Reserve Officer Training Corps Region. He was in charge of ROTC programs in that area.
• Assistant Division Commander for the 1st Armored Division in Europe.

In 1983, when Smith was a Brigadier general, a magazine called The Crisis recognized him as one of the "top Black leaders in the Armed Forces." At that time, he held the same rank as Colin Powell, who later became a famous general and Secretary of State. Smith was also mentioned in important books about African Americans in the military.

General Smith also wrote a big report for the Army. This report was about the school system for "army brats" (children of military families) living in Europe.

Awards and Honors

General Smith received many special awards and honors for his service. Some of these include:

• The Distinguished Service Medal
• The Silver Star
• The Defense Superior Service Medal
• The Legion of Merit (with an Oak Leaf Cluster, meaning he received it more than once)
• The Bronze Star Medal
• The Meritorious Service Medal (with an Oak Leaf Cluster)
• The Army Commendation Medal (with two Oak Leaf Clusters)

In 1999, an organization called The Rocks, Inc., named Smith their "Rock of the Year." This group is made up of ROTC officers.

In 2006, after he had retired, General Smith received a special honor from the state of Louisiana. Both the Louisiana House of Representatives and the Louisiana Senate gave him a citation. This was to recognize his many years of service to the United States.