R.I.P. Lance Cpl. Zachary D. Smith

Marine Lance Cpl. Zachary D. Smith
Died January 24, 2010 serving during Operation Enduring Freedom

19, of Hornell, N.Y.; assigned to 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died Jan. 24 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.

(Taken from www.canisteovalleynews.com of Jan. 29, 2010) Lance Corporal Zachary D. “Zach” Smith – 19 – of Hornell died in combat on Sunday, January 24, 2010, while serving his country with the United States Marine Corps in Afghanistan.

A native & life resident of Hornell, he was born April 2, 1990 and was the son of Chris & Kim (McDaniel) Smith.

Zach was a graduate of Hornell High School (class of 2008) where he was a member of the football & golf teams. Immediately following graduation, he followed his lifelong dream and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. On October 3, 2008 graduated from Recruit Training in Parris Island, SC. He completed the Marine Corps School of Infantry and was then assigned to the 2nd Platoon C Company 1st Battalion 6th Marines based out of Camp Lejeune, NC. On December 17, 2009 was deployed to Afghanistan.

He was a member of Our Lady of the Valley Parish and a communicant of St. Ann’s Church. Zach was an avid golfer and was a member of Twin Hickory Golf Club and also the Hornell Golf Club. He enjoyed watching sporting events and especially liked to root for the New York Giants, New York Yankees and the Syracuse Orangemen.

Zach had a way of touching the lives of everyone that he met. He had a wonderful sense of humor; a contagious laugh and the most genuine smile that God ever gave a human being. He was always ready with a good joke or a humorous story. He will be sadly missed by his family, friends, the Hornell community and everyone that had the pleasure of knowing him.

He was married on July 25, 2009 to the former Anne Deebs who survives. Also surviving are his parents, Chris & Kim Smith of Hornell; 1 brother, Nathaniel “Nate” Smith of Hornell; 1 sister, Grace Smith of Hornell; his grandparents, Sid & Alice Smith of Hornell and Darrell & Donna McDaniel of Hornell; his mother-in law and father-in- law, Mike & Andrea Deebs of Hornell; his in-laws, Michael, Patrick, Mary, Brendan, Grace and Andrew Deebs; several aunts, uncles, nieces & nephews.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday at 10:00 AM at St. Ann’s Church with burial in St. Mary’s Cemetery with full military honors.

Zach’s family graciously request that instead of sending flowers, friends help to keep his memory alive by contributing to the Zachary D. Smith Memorial Scholarship Fund, c/o Regi Gambino, 17 Elmwood Place, Hornell, NY 14843. Memorial forms will be available at the Dagon Funeral Home.