Lloyd Hilton Smith (S&B 1929)
Yale University. Skull and Bones. Editor of the Yale Daily News.
Founder of the Argus Research Corporation and Laird Inc.[4]
Mr Smith often quoted the Mark Twain (Hon. Scroll and Key) explanation, “If I cannot smoke cigars in Heaven, then I won’t go.”[4]
He was a Founding Director of The National Review Magazine, and along with Paul Nitze, The Committee On The Present Danger. [4]
Oil Gas Production, Investments.[2]
President, Parafinne Oil Corporate.[2]
Director, First National Bank Houston.[2]
Director, National Review.[2]
Director, Curtiss-Wright Corp.[2]
Director, Information Storage Systems.[2]
Director, Falcon Seaboard Corporate.[2]
Director, Kinetics International Corporate.[2]
11 Nov 1976 to ?, Member of the Committee on the Present Danger (Foreign Policy Interest Group that seeks to influence White House Administrations) - founded by James B Conant (The Fly Club, Signet Society, Delta Upsilon, GAC, Manhattan Project)
1956 to 1970 - Adv Director, First City National Bank Houston.
WW2 - 1942 to 1945 - Lt. Commander, US Naval Reserve. Saw action on the legendary aircraft carriers, The USS Hornet and The USS Wasp.[4]
Note: Battle of Midway - Hornet dive bombers followed an incorrect heading and did not find the enemy fleet. Several bombers and all of the escorting fighters were forced to ditch when they ran out of fuel attempting to return to the ship.[7,p128 to 132]
In another incident: 15 torpedo bombers of Torpedo Squadron 8 (VT-8) found the Japanese ships and attacked. They were met by overwhelming fighter opposition about eight nautical miles (9 mi; 15 km) out, and with no escorts to protect them, they were shot down one by one. Ensign George H. Gay, USNR, was the only survivor of 30 men.[7,p131 to p132]
Mitscher’s decisions in the battle have come under scrutiny largely due to the questionable actions of his subordinates and discrepancies in his After Action report. According to author Robert J. Mrazek, Mitscher backed up Ring’s decision to take the heading of 263 degrees, as well as the decision to keep the fighters at high altitude, too high to effectively cover the torpedo bombers. Mrazek states that Waldron vehemently protested both decisions in front of Ring and Mitscher, but was overruled by the latter.[6,23]
At the time, American intelligence reports indicated that the Japanese might be operating their carriers in two groups, and the search plane contact report stated that only two carriers had been found. Mitscher and Ring had agreed on the westerly heading in order to search behind the enemy task force for a possible trailing group.[6,25]
A further controversy exists in that the only official report from Hornet states that the strike took a course heading of 239 degrees and missed the Japanese task force because it had turned north.[6,26] This statement does not agree with some testimonies of Air Group Eight pilots and other evidence, most noticeably that none of the downed VF 10 pilots who were later rescued were found along the 238 course heading.
Finally, the fact that no After Action reports were filed other than the one signed by Mitscher containing the 239 course heading is unusual. Mrazek believes that the lack of reports indicates a cover-up, possibly in an effort to protect Mitscher’s reputation.[6,27]
Married Jane Clay Zevely, Elizabeth Keth Wiess
1929 - Graduated Yale, Skull and Bones Patriarch.[1]
Died 27 Oct 1999, from Not Known. Age 94.
[3] - Skull and Bones Membership List by David Luhrssen
[4] - NY Times 3 Nov, 1999 - Obituaries - Lloyd Hilton Smith (S&B 1929)
[6] - US Navy Admiral Marc Mitscher
[6,23] - A Dawn Like Thunder: The True Story of Torped… (Paperback) by Robert J. Mrazek
[8] - Committee on the Present Danger.
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