FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (Feb. 29, 2009) - In recognition of 2009 as the Year of the Noncommissioned Officer, a former Combined Arms Center command sergeant major and a Buffalo Soldier have been selected to be inducted into the Leavenworth Hall of Fame, CAC and Fort Leavenworth Commander Lt. Gen. William B. Caldwell IV announced Feb. 18.
Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Larry M. Smith and the late Sgt. Maj. William McBryar will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in a ceremony May 19 at the Lewis and Clark Center.
Smith was CAC's top NCO from 1991 to 1994. During his service, Smith led and mentored Soldiers at every level of NCO leadership with a host of armor units, including the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment in Vietnam. After retirement, Smith has continued his service as president of the Henry Leavenworth Chapter of the Association of the United States Army, executive vice president for the 5th Region AUSA, member of the Fort Leavenworth Retiree Council, and a recent member of the Army Chief of Staff's Retiree Council. Smith and his wife, Barbara, live in Leavenworth.
McBryar received the Medal of Honor for "coolness, bravery and marksmanship" while pursuing hostile Apaches in Arizona as a sergeant in Company K, 10th U.S. Cavalry in 1890. McBryar went on to fight in Cuba and the Philippines with the 25th Infantry, served at Fort Leavenworth in the 9th Cavalry, and twice earned a volunteer officer's commission, but returned to enlisted service. After leaving active service, McBryar tried several times to re-enlist, but was not successful. McBryar died March 8, 1941, and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
The only current NCO in the Leavenworth Hall of Fame is First Sgt. Percival G. Lowe, who was with B Troop, 1st Dragoons at Fort Leavenworth from 1849 to 1854 and participated in the Indian Campaigns. After his military service, Lowe worked for the government as a civilian wagon master for five years. He later served as president of the Leavenworth City Council, Leavenworth County sheriff, a member of the Kansas Senate and president of the Kansas State Historical Society. The Fort Leavenworth Garrison Headquarters building at 600 Thomas Ave. is named for him.
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