Smith, Zachary Dylan

Zachary Dylan Smith was a 19-year-old Marine from the small city of Hornell in upstate New York. He served as a Lance Corporal with the 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, part of Regimental Combat Team 7, which was deployed to southern Afghanistan's Helmand province in late 2009 and early 2010.

His unit was engaged in Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign that began in October 2001 following the September 11 attacks. In January 2010, Helmand was the focus of a major coalition offensive, Operation Moshtarak, aimed at clearing Taliban strongholds in districts like Marjah and Nad Ali.

On January 24, 2010, Smith was killed by hostile fire in Helmand province. The Department of Defense announced his death the following day. He was one of at least four U.S. service members killed in Afghanistan that day, according to contemporary reports.

Smith's death occurred during what became the deadliest year for international forces in the Afghanistan war. He was one of 2356 American service members who died during Operation Enduring Freedom, which concluded as a distinct combat mission in December 2014.

His loss was noted in his hometown, where local media reported he was a 2008 graduate of Hornell High School. The community remembered him as a young man who chose to serve his country.

His battalion, 1st Battalion, 6th Marines, sustained significant casualties during its 2009-2010 deployment to Helmand, a period documented in military histories of the Afghanistan campaign.

Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led combat mission in Afghanistan, concluded in December 2014. See the full roster of those killed in this conflict.

Among those documented in the same conflict: Andrews, Evander Earl, Edmunds, Jonn Joseph, Stonesifer, Kristofor Tif, Davis, Bryant Leroy.

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