Brandon soldier killed in Iraq

<p>A soldier from Brandon, Fla., died Thursday in Baghdad when a bomb exploded near the convoy he was escorting, his father said.</p><p>First Lt. Kevin J. Smith, 28, was killed after insurgents detonated an explosive as the convoy of engineers went along the Tigris River to a power plant, Smith's father, Clifford Smith, said. The blast also injured three other soldiers, Smith said.</p><p>Kevin Smith, a West Point graduate, was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 76th Field Artillery, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, based out of Fort Stewart, Ga.</p><p>"His commanding officer said that in Baghdad, there are two routes that are quite dangerous," Clifford Smith said. "This was one of them."</p><p>Despite the danger, Smith said his son, who had been in Iraq for about six months, rarely discussed his fears.</p><p>"He said, 'When my time comes, my time comes. I could be killed in a car driving down I-95,'" Smith recalled.</p><p>On Friday morning, Smith took down the yellow ribbon he had hung in his house.</p><p>"He really is home," he said. "He's at home with the Lord."</p><p>___</p><p>HASH(0x1cd9ce4)</p>

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