William Y. Smith

William Y. Smith, GENERAL, USAF (ret.) died on Jan. 19, 2016, at his home in Falls Church, Va. A native of Hot Springs, Ark., and a 1948 graduate of West Point, he had a 35-year military career, serving in combat in Korea and at the highest policy levels in Washington, DC and in Europe. He held a PhD and MPA from Harvard University, taught for four years in the Department of Social Sciences at West Point, and served for five years as President of IDA, the Institute for Defense Analyses, a federally funded research center. Once in full retirement, he became President of the Air Force Historical Foundation and served on the board of the National Security Archive. He co-authored a book on the Cuba Missile Crisis with the former head of the Soviet Warsaw Pact Armed Forces, and participated in a number of oral histories on nuclear deterrence and arms control. His decorations include the Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Purple Heart, the Air Medal with 4 clusters, the Legion of Merit, and five distinguished service awards. He leaves behind his wife, Maria; their three sons, Raymond, Mark, and Derek and their much beloved and growing young families. He was predeceased by his brother, Ray S. Smith Jr. former Speaker of the Arkansas House of Representatives. His sister, Bettie Mildred Pierce of Pine Bluff passed away in April. Funeral Services will be at 1 p.m. on Fri., 13 May, 2016 at the Old Post Chapel, Fort Myer, Arlington, Va. with burial in Arlington National Cemetery to follow.