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MEMORIAL ARTICLE
Published Assembly Jan '91
Carl Paxton Schmidt NO. 15925 CLASS OF 1946 Died
26 May 1951 in Korea, aged 27 years. Interred: Greenwood Cemetery,
Wheeling, West Virginia |
ON 15 FEBRUARY 1924 in Wheeling, West, Virginia, a local Attorney,
Carl O. Schmidt, and his wife became the proud parents of a baby
boy, Carl Paxton Schmidt. Young Carl grew up in Wheeling and
became an avid sportsman, both as an active participant and spectator.
As a young man, Carl demonstrated those traits that would distinguish
him throughout his life: love for his family and friends, sensitivity
to the feelings of others, and loyalty. In high school, was an
excellent golfer and tennis player, but baseball was his favorite
sport. As was common in the days before television, Carl followed
his favorite major league teams on the radio and knew the batting
averages and other pertinent statistics of the players. Carl
started high school at the Linsly Military Academy in Wheeling,
but spent his last three years of high school and graduated from
the Lawrenceville School in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. He attended
Gilman Preparatory School in Baltimore, Maryland before receiving
his appointment West Point.
Carl entered West Point on 1 July 1943, his military school
background standing him in good stead. Academics were no problem
and he was known as a good cadet, never knowingly breaking any
regulations. Always a gentleman, he was kind and considerate
in his dealings with others. A vibrant personality made
Carl a strong force in his cadet company. He started each day
playing a record from the musical, Oklahoma, "Oh, What A
Beautiful Morning. ''This positive attitude permeated every aspect
of Carl's life His roommates recall that Carl knew exactly what
his goals were; to go into the Artillery and to fly light planes.
Going into the Artillery upon graduation, Carl was first assigned
to the Basic Officers courses at Fort Sill, Oklahoman and Fort
Bliss, Texas. It was during this period that Carl married his
high school sweetheart, Nancy Carrol, on 26 December,1946 in
Wheeling, West Virginia. Following these school assignments,
Carl went to Fort Benning, Georgia to gain his jump wings at
the Airborne School. Carl wanted to be challenged and he strove
for perfection. Jump School was one of his challenges and he
felt gaining his wings was a key to future challenging assignments.
From Fort Benning, he was assigned as executive officer of
"A" Battery, 13th Field Artillery Battalion, 24th Division
in Hakata, Japan. In December l947, Carl was able to get reassigned
to Camp Younghans, Japan to the 675th Airborne Field Artillery
Battalion, 11th Airborne Division. The year 1948 saw Carl assigned
to the Nigata Japan Military Government Team, and then
during the summer of 1948 he coached the 11th Airborne Division
baseball team Carl and Nancy returned to CONUS with the 11th
Airborne Division when it moved back to Fort Campbell, Kentucky
in early 1949. Their daughter Mary Elizabeth was born in August
1949. While at Fort Campbell, Carl applied for and was accepted
for pilot training. He attended the United States Air Force Pilot
School at Connally Air Force Base, Texas in early 1950. After
receiving his pilot wings, Carl became a student in the Air Training
Department of the Artillery School at Fort Sill to learn the
rudiments of aerial artillery observation From Fort Sill, Carl
was assigned to the 2nd Armored Division at Fort Hood, Texas.
In keeping with his desire to obtain challenging, assignments,
Carl was anxious to get into the Korean War. He was able to yet
assigned as a pilot in the Air Section of the 674th Battalion
of the 187th Regimental Combat Team.
In the early part of May 1951, the 187th RCT was in positions
about 30 miles east of Seoul, Korea. At that time, then Captain
Bertram Gorwitz (later brigadier general) was assigned as an
aerial observer with the Air Section of the 674th Airborne Field
Artillery Battalion. Prior to that time, Captain Gorwitz had
the opportunity to fly with all four of the pilots assigned to
the Air Section. So, when he was assigned as the aerial observer,
he knew which pilot he preferred to have fly him. This pilot
was Carl Schmidt. While Gorwitz admired Carl's "devil-may-care"
attitude, Carl's flying skills convinced him of the validity
of his choice. During the period 14-19 May 1951, they flew constantly
from daylight to dusk, adjusting artillery fire advising
the ground-based Air Force forward controllers on the best air
corridors for close air support.
On 21-22 May, the 187th conducted a three pronged attack
in the Hoengsong-Hongchon area about 70 miles east of Seoul.
Again, the team of Gorwitz and Schmidt was active from daylight
to dusk. About 24 May 1951, the 187th was ordered by X Corps
to move with all haste to the area of Inje, near the east coast
of Korea, to cut the routes of escape of the Chinese forces moving
northward in their withdrawal up the coast.
On 26 May, Carl and Gorwitz landed on a small airstrip alongside
the Inje River. While Gorwitz went forward to discuss the situation
with the battalion S-3, Carl took off to fly an Infantry captain
to another position. Immediately after takeoff; Carl's plane
was hit by enemy automatic weapons fire and crashed. A few days
later a classmate. Ed Joseph returned from being hospitalized
to B Battery, 37th Field Artillery Battalion, 2nd Division and
was informed by his executive officer that an L-l9 aircraft had
crashed a few days before near their firing positron. The pilot
of the plane was Carl Schmidt. Upon learning that there was no
investigating officer to ascertain the facts. Ed requested one
from X Corps Aviation Section. The results of this investigation
confirmed that Carl had been killed by enemy gunfire, and not
as a result of the crash. He was awarded the Purple Heart posthumously.
Carl Paxton Schmidt lived and died with the precept of Duty,
Honor, Country governing his every action. His death is mourned
by all who loved and knew him, yet Carl was doing what he loved
right up to the time of his death. He had met every challenge
presented to him. Bertram Gorwitz recalls that Carl Schmidt was
a gallant, bold and fearless pilot. His actions in combat were
exemplary. If Carl could hear those words, he would be greatly
pleased because they represent the culmination of his dreams
and ambitions.
Everyone who knew Carl remembers the same attributes that
endeared him to all. He was honest, loving, considerate and kind
- attributes that exemplify a really good person. The years since
Carl's death may have dimmed the memory of specific dates and
events, but the memory of Carl Schmidt will live forever with
his family, friends and classmates. A loving, caring husband
and father, a true friend, and a brave soldier who gave his life
for his country; a fitting epitaph for one of West Point's own.
'46 Memorial Article Project and his wife Nancy
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