John J Smith

WOODLAND, Ml - John J. Smith passed away February 25th, 2026. John was born May 12th, 1923, the son of Orlo and Nettie (Faas) Smith. He graduated from Woodland High School in 1940 and enrolled at Dodge Radio Institute in Valparaiso, Indiana where he obtained the first-class radiophone, second-class radiotelegraph, and general class amateur radio licenses.

He was employed the next four years in service to his country, at the Allegan Monitoring and Direction Finding Station of the FCC Radio Intelligence Division as a junior monitoring officer. He was called into military service December 1943 to November 1945 with thirteen months in Europe, in a top-secret unit called 'The Ghost Army." This unit of 88 officers and 1,100 men, the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, performed visual deception with rubber dummies of tanks, radio deception and sonic sound of tank movement to convince the enemy of the presence of a full armor or infantry division when they were actually miles away. After The Ghost Army's 26th mission of diversion, helping two infantry divisions cross the Rhine River with minor loss, the war ended and the 23rd HQ’s Special Troops were called home. As a Sergeant in the Sonic Company, he was entitled to wear The Good Conduct Medal, The European Theater of Operations Ribbon with Five Stars, Meritorious Unit Sleeve Insignia, Free French with One Palm, Cherrone de Chene of Luxembourg, The Allied Colors Ribbon, and The Verdun Medal. In 2024, at the age of 101, John received the Congressional Gold Medal which was awarded to the Ghost Army of World War II.

He became a civilian again, and in the next 41 years worked for different

employers as a transmitter tester, radio receiver alignment and repair man, laboratory model maker, TV test and repair technician, tape recorder assembly line supervisor, carpenter and millwright. In 1985, he was asked to design and draw the power and control circuits for computer-controlled feed mills at Hough Brothers in Sunfield. He retired to enjoy full time farming in 1987, and retired from farming in 1993 to "sit and watch the world go by".

He married his high school sweetheart, Margaret J. Rowlader on September 8th, 1942. After 67 years of great memories, Margaret preceded him in death in 2009. He was also preceded in death by his sons, Thomas L. Smith (2017), David J. Smith (2022) and daughter Janet L. Adams (2020). He is survived by his children, Dennis D. (Kathy) Smith, Gary A. Smith, Jeanne L. (Mark) Shook and Joanne L. (Ricky) King,

daughter-in-law Lynda M. Smith, and many grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

A private service was entrusted to Koops Funeral Chapel.