U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Frederick W. Smith (right) in Vietnam, ca. 1968. Courtesy of the Smith family.
Before Frederick W. Smith founded Federal Express (later renamed FedEx) in 1973, he was leading Marines through the jungles and cities of Vietnam and flying over the country as a forward air controller. Later in his life, he would attribute his leadership style to his service in the Marine Corps.
Smith, the company’s longtime chairman and CEO, passed away on June 21, 2025, and was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery on Oct. 2, 2025. He served two tours in Vietnam, from 1966 to 1969. He led a platoon as a lieutenant but, due to a lack of officers, he became the company commander of Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division.
Smith proved his courage and leadership during a North Vietnamese counterattack in Quang Nam Province on May 27, 1968, when he rushed through intense enemy fire to help several wounded men to safety. He then directed fire against an enemy advance, successfully repelling it. Still under fire, he moved to an elevated area to adjust supporting artillery fire and air strikes. As North Vietnamese troops became confused under fire, he led an attack that successfully drove the enemy off the battlefield. Smith was later promoted to captain and served the rest of his tour on the 1st Marine Division’s staff.
Smith returned to Vietnam as a forward air controller, flying an OV-10A Bronco observation aircraft. The assignment was no less dangerous than leading a company on the ground. According to his son, Richard Smith, Capt. Smith was shot down but evaded capture and was rescued.
For the rest of his life, Smith credited his experiences in the Marine Corps for the way he ran FedEx, which began operations in Memphis, Tennessee, and grew into one of the world’s largest express transportation companies. At a Pentagon speaking engagement in 2014, he told his audience, “Everything that went into FedEx that made the business that it is today relates to what I learned in the Marine Corps,” adding, “Lessons learned during Vietnam played over and over in my mind when we developed the business plan.”
Smith’s service in the Marine Corps also guided how he raised his ten children and led his life. As a testament to his character, almost 200 people, including retired flag officers and service members in uniform, came to Arlington National Cemetery on Oct. 2 to bid him a final farewell. Father William George, who presided over the service, told mourners that Smith was willing to give his life for his family, friends and country. “Very few have done so much to make [the world] better than Fred,” he said, concluding, “He truly was a good Samaritan.”
The funeral service included elements that reflected Smith’s time in the Marine Corps, as well as his company and family life. Two Marine Corps V-22 Osprey aircraft conducted a flyover. Marine Capt. Jackson Perkins, who played football with Smith’s grandson at the Naval Academy, presented the flag to his widow, Diane Smith. Many mourners wore purple lapel pins shaped like an aircraft tail fin—referencing the purple tail fins on FedEx’s planes—with Smith’s initials at the bottom.
Two Marine veterans from Smith’s Kilo Company attended the service. One, Lydon Wilson, recalled Smith’s unique style of leadership. Wilson last saw Smith at a battalion reunion in May 2025, a month before he passed away. “It was a pretty hard blow to us,” Wilson said, choking up, “because we loved the guy.”
After the service, two of Smith’s ten children reflected on their father’s life. His son Richard recalled how Smith would wake the children for school by blaring the tune “Reveille”—the traditional wake-up call for military personnel—earning him the nickname “Marine Corps Fred.” Smith’s daughter, U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Stacey Rokas, remembered him singing the “Marines’ Hymn.” “We love it to this day because of him,” she said.
Richard Smith concluded that his father belonged with the nation’s heroes at Arlington National Cemetery. The funeral service also impressed him. “It was short, sweet and on time,” he said. “It was everything he loved and stood for.”
