Herbert S. Smith

Herbert S. Smith was born on November 25th, 1896 in New York City to George and Minnie Smith. He was the youngest of five children: Blanch, Blake, Julia, Walter, and little Herbert. When he was around three, the family was living in Athens, Greene, New York. Yet, by the time he was around thirteen, the family had moved to Teaneck.

On April 26th, 1918, at the age of 21, Herbert enlisted in the Navy in New York City.
He was assigned to the 4th Regiment, 2nd Co., US Navy. There he was given the rank of Landsman for Electrician, the preliminary rank of the Navy given to new recruits. Herbert, freshly recruited, was sent to the Newport Naval Training Station, in Newport, Rhode Island.

 Sadly, Herbert never got to leave American waters, and was rushed to the Naval Hospital on Aquidneck Island, Newport, with cerebrospinal fever (now cerebrospinal meningitis), an epidemic caused by easy transmission via physical contact. On June 24th, 1918, Herbert succumbed to the fever.  His remains were interred to Liberty Cemetery in Liberty, New York.

Ancestry.com

1. Herbert Smith - Overview
2. 1900 United States Federal Census
3. 1910 United States Federal Census
4. U.S. Naval Deaths, World War I
5. U.S., Navy Casualties Books, 1776-1941

Find A Grave Website

1. Herbert S. Smith
2. Photo of the tombstone