UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State recognized and honored those who were Prisoners of War and those who are still Missing in Action service members and their families during the Nittany Lions’ Military Appreciation football game on Sept. 21.

Among those in attendance were siblings Dennis Smith, of Bellefonte; Patti Long, of Howard; and Deb Burger, of Bellefonte, who stood on the field inside of Beaver Stadium representing their brother, Major Lewis P. Smith II. Smith is a 1964 graduate whose plane was shot down over Laos in 1968 during the Vietnam War.

Smith is one of more than 81,000 American service members missing from previous conflicts, according to the United States Department of Defense.

Major Lewis P. Smith II

Deb Burger described her big brother as the one who always took care of things for their family.

Smith attended Bellefonte High School and furthered his education at Penn State, graduating in 1964 with a degree in music. He was a member of the Blue Band’s trumpet section and the Air Force ROTC program. Smith was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force and attended pilot training after graduation.

“He was proud to serve and pay back for the education he received through the ROTC program,” Burger said.

Burger said she believes her brother wanted to serve because of the importance of the military to their family, including service by their father and uncle.

“My dad was in World War II and Korea, so when Lewis wanted to get a degree and the ROTC program was available to help, it just made sense,” she said. “Dad was Army, but I think flying was appealing to Lewis. I think he had a little daredevil in him.”

Smith served as a pilot of an O2 aircraft, working to identify the targets for the bombers.

On May 30, 1968, 25-year-old Smith was stationed at Pleiku Air Base in Vietnam, which Burger said was being hit by enemy fire. Smith flew a mission in an aircraft over Laos searching for information to determine how and where the attacks came from. Burger said he found a bridge the enemy used to cross a river out of Laos to hit their base and quickly disappear.

“Lewis radioed for the bombers but was shot down by the enemy by the time they arrived,” she said.

American forces searched for Smith for the next few days but were unable to locate him. After the war ended, the U.S. government located a crash site, but he remains missing in action.

“Not knowing whether he is dead, captured, being tortured, or alone in the jungle is hard. As difficult as it would be if we had received the news that Lewis had been killed, at least we would have closure,” Burger explained. “This up and down of your thoughts is awful.”

While the family doesn’t know what happened to Smith after the crash, they did receive his class ring. Burger described the experience as “surreal.” She said the family believed Smith’s ex-girlfriend had the ring, so when a government official called, they were confused.

“He assured me that they had checked it out completely and that it was Lewis’,” she said.

Burger said it was a sign from their late mother to continue looking for Smith.

Honoring and remembering service members

Burger said their family is honored to have represented POW/MIA families by appearing on the field during the Sept. 21 Penn State game against Kent State.

The family has raised awareness through several community events and projects. Recently, the Smith siblings and their families worked together with the community to create a POW/MIA Veteran Courtyard at the Centre County Grange Encampment and Fair.

In Bellefonte, Burger works with the borough’s "Hometown Hero" banner program. She advocated for the renaming of the High Street Bridge to “Veterans Bridge,” a park that was renamed “Benner Township Veteran Park” and a baseball field named in honor of Dennis Johnstonbaugh, a Vietnam veteran who lost his legs during his service.

She also presented the idea to install and dedicate a Chair of Honor inside Beaver Stadium. The University unveiled the chair during the 2021 football season. The chair is painted black and bears the POW/MIA symbol, along with a folded American flag and a rose. The seat remains empty as a stark reminder of the sacrifices made by service members.

“It’s important to keep the mission of acquiring the fullest possible accounting of our missing before the public,” she said.

A sense of closure

Each year, Burger and her husband attend national meetings in Washington, D.C., where they connect with those in similar situations.

While searches continue for those who are missing in action, families across the nation deal with the anxiety, hope, grief and disappointment of waiting. Groups like the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) conduct searches and bring home service members; However, the renewed hope of a successful mission dissipates when families learn it isn’t their loved one being repatriated.

The continued commitment to searching for all of those who are missing in action remains important, according to Burger. She said the public can support and raise awareness for individuals who are missing in action by contacting elected representatives and leaders to reinforce how important this mission to bring them home is.

“Not only to find those currently missing, but to make sure that the people willing to serve in the future will know that they won’t be abandoned if they find themselves missing on foreign soil,” she said.

Burger and the entire Smith family continue to advocate for those who are missing in action, and wait for an answer for their brother.

“Ours, like many other families, would like your prayers that someday we would have closure,” Burger said.

Military Appreciation at Penn State  

Penn State has a longstanding and proud tradition of serving the men and women of our military through education benefits, resources, support and more. This year, Penn State is recognizing and honoring those who were Prisoners of War and those who are still Missing in Action service members and their families through a series of campus events, including the military appreciation football game on Sept. 21.

Penn State community members with military connections can submit a profile of service for the opportunity to be featured on the University’s Military Appreciation website and other materials. Visit militaryappreciation.psu.edu to learn more.