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Local Fallen Airman to be Honored at Air Force Museum

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Erica Crossen
  • 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
1/21/2015 - SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill.-- --  A dedication ceremony for a local fallen Airman and his wounded wingman will take place Jan. 23 at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.

The ceremony will showcase a new exhibit made up of Senior Airman Bradley Smith's and Senior Airman Michael Malarsie belongings to tell their story. It also offers a glimpse into the life of an elite Joint Terminal Attack Controller specialist, and echoes the familial closeness these battlefield Airmen have for each other.

Airman Smith was killed on duty while deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in January 2010, after a second improvised explosive device detonated while Smith and an Army medic were retrieving the body of another soldier.

Three other Army service members were killed that day from the 1st Battalion from Fort Carson, Colorado, and their names are represented in the exhibit.

Although Malarsie was blinded from the attack that day, he continued to serve his country with the assistance of his guide dog, Xxon, until he retired in 2013.

Smith left behind his wife that he had met at Basic Military Training, and six week-old daughter when he deployed in December 2009.

Back at home in Troy, Ill., Gary Smith, Senior Airman Smith's father, said he is honored by all the efforts the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force to ensure his son's memory lives on.

The process started with Ms. Krista Strider, a curator that has been with the museum since 1992. She learned about Senior Airman Smith's story of heroism from his parents, Gary and Paula.

Strider said, "As part of the museum's mission, the National Museum of the United States Air Force collects, researches, conserves, interprets and presents the Air Force's history, heritage and traditions to the American public. We are the keepers of their stories."

The lengthy process of approving an exhibit goes to a board for approval to be deemed remarkable enough to take up square footage in the museum. The proposal to dedicate an exhibit to Smith and Malarsie was accepted and some relevant items, such as the beret, uniform and their tools used in JTAC operations were donated from the families.

The exhibit stands as a representation of 'sacrifice and selflessness' to Gary Smith.
"No one else out there that day was different than Brad," he said, "his wingmen may have sacrificed in different ways, but they knew the ultimate price they might be asked to pay."

For him, the story of his son sets an example to those who know it of the sheer courage and camaraderie of JTAC Airmen, which leaves him very humbled.

"Brad would give you the shirt off his back, because he was just that kind of person," Smith said, "Members of his JTAC team still keeps in contact with us, because they were all that connected with one another and they still feel his absence."

Strider said the exhibit has been added to the Warrior Airmen exhibit in the Cold War Gallery, which is one of the museum's permanent displays for visitors to experience.