David M. Smith, born in Livingston, Kentucky, on November 10, 1926, served with the U.S. Army in Company E, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2d Infantry Division, during the Korean Conflict. During the Korean War, he was a gunner in the mortar section of Company E when his unit came under attack in rugged mountainous terrain near Yongsan, Korea, and, encircled by enemy forces, was unable to withdraw. After seeing a grenade thrown near him, he threw himself on it to smother the explosion and saved the lives of five men. He was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor posthumously for his gallantry and outstanding courage, and this act of valor cost him his life on September 1, 1950.