Theodore Junior Smith, better known as Ted was born May 3,1925 in Springfield Illinois, the home of Abraham Lincoln and the Illinois World War II Memorial.  Ted was the son of Theodore C. and Ethel I. Smith of Springfield Illinois and he presently resides at at 406 south Livingston Street.  He served in the Navy from June 11, 1943 to February 18, 1946 and was discharged from the USS Spangler DE-696 as a Seaman 1st Class

His Story:

"I went to the draft board on my 18th birthday and told them I wanted to go next call.  By June 11,1943, I was in the U.S.NAVY at Great Lakes, IL.  After boot camp I went to the Norfolk Virginia Navy station to learn about poison gas, rowing boats, swimming, training and firing big and small guns.  I and many more sailors were transported to the Navy Supply Depot, New Orleans, Louisiana and here I became a crew member on the Destroyer Escort USS SPANGLER DE 696."

Going To War:

"On October 31,1943, eleven officers and one hundred ninety nine sailors shipped out to war.  Our new ship and crew went to the vicinity of Bermuda for shakedown and manning everything on the ship.  We found out about the big high waves and massive crestless swells.  Our ship went over and under the water, we rolled seventy two degrees several times.

My story is also my ship's story, she took us there and she brought us back.

After Bermuda we steamed into Boston, Massachusetts with eight inches of sea ice all over the ship (an excellent photo of the Spangler covered in ice can be viewed in Dave Rehmeyer's Memoirs).  We left Boston on December 24, 1943 with three big Destroyers, headed for the Pacific via the Panama Canal. We arrived at Bora Bora in the Society Islands on 20th January 1944.  Then received orders to rendezvous with convoy Task Unit 116.15.3 as the flagship of Commander, Escort Division 39 and to head for Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides Islands.  In mid-February, we escorted USS Shasta (AE-6) to Purvis Bay, Florida Island in the Solomons,and then took up patrol station off Guadalcanal two days later. After escorting USS Alnitah (AK-127) to Torokina Point on Bougainville, we rounded out the month patrolling off Blanche Harbor, Treasury Island, and off Purvis Bay.

For the next Three months, we escorted,convoys on shuttle runs between various islands in the South Pacific. During that period,we visited Guadalcanal, Espiritu Santo, New Caledonia, Florida Island, Majuro, Emirau, Rendova, and Manus.

In late May, we sailed from Tulagi to the Admiralty Islands with a supply of hedgehog depth charges for USS England (DE-635), USS Raby (DE-698), and USS George (DE-697). We rendezvoused with the three ships at Manus on the 27th, delivered our cargo, and the four ships sortied the next day to join a hunter/killer group formed around USS Hoggatt Bay (CVE-75). Our task group was steaming north during the waning hours of 30 May when USS Hazelwood (DD-531) made a sound contact on the Japanese submarine, RO-105. While the England and my ship, the Spangler headed toward the southern end of the scouting line, the USS Raby and the USS George charged to the attack. Both ships attacked the enemy, but with no apparent success. During the night, they lost contact with the submerged enemy. However, after a few hours, the Japanese commanding officer obligingly surfaced between Raby and the George and switched on his searchlights. The USS England and my ship the Spangler raced toward the shaft of light which fixed RO-105's position for us perfectly. By 0500 on the 31st, we were in contact with the Raby and the George, and with the officer in tactical command (OTC). At first light, the Raby and the George each attacked the Japanese sub in quick succession. When their efforts failed, My ship joined the fray. We attacked with 24 depth charges, but without success. The USS England's full pattern of depth charges at 0735 brought a huge explosion and a watery grave to RO-105.

On 2 June, the ships joined Task Group (TG) 30.4 and returned to Seeadler Harbor at Manus. My ship, the USS Spangler, continued to operate with the USS Hoggatt Bay until the 21st, when we headed for Purvis Bay and overhaul. From the completion of overhaul in late July until the end of September, we operated out of Purvis Bay on escort assignments and antisubmarine warfare training. During that period, we called at Guadalcanal, Espiritu Santo, Barika Island, Tialaki, Eniwetok, Tarawa, and Hollandia. In October, We became station ship at Funafuti in the Ellice Islands. However, we was so employed only briefly and soon returned to Purvis Bay and escort duty and, for the remainder of 1944 screened ships shuttling to Kossol Passage, Ulithi, and Guam."