Roll of Honor
Eugene Smith
Incident
Colonel Eugene Smith was killed in a plane crash on Mount Gannett in Alaska.
Colonel Smith was en route to Elmendorf Air Force Base when the plane lost contact with controllers during a violent storm with strong winds. The plane wreck could not be recovered despite search and rescue missions due to severe snow and weather. The Colony Glacier shifted, and the plane was not found until 2012. Investigators identified Colonel Smith's remains with DNA and buried him with full military honors in 2014.
Colonel Smith was a United States Army World War II veteran and was credited with solving the Hesse crown jewel theft case in Germany. After the war, he transferred to the Air Force and the Office of Special Investigations. When the plane crashed, he was on his way to take command of the Office of Special Investigations at the Alaska Air Command.
At the time of his death, Colonel Smith was survived by his mother, father, two sisters, and two brothers. One of his brothers served as a Wilmington Police Department detective. His other brother was the only immediate relative to know that his remains had been found, but he passed away before his burial service.
Survivors
At the time of his death, Colonel Smith was survived by his mother, father, two sisters, and two brothers. In 2014 at his funeral service, he was survived by nine nieces and nephews and many great and great-great grand nieces and nephews.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-FED-40378D1D- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Colonel Smith gave the United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations 11 years.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Eugene Smith served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Colonel Eugene Smith is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In VA, 203 of 654 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 31% of this state's fallen.
At United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations, 3 of 18 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 16.7% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Eugene Smith's cause is highlighted.
How Eugene Smith Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Eugene Smith is highlighted in Nov.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
17 officers from United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
