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BRIGHAM CITY – As the war continues to claim casualties in Ukraine, a Brigham City man – currently on a job at Hill Air Force Base – spends all his time in Poland lending a hand to relief efforts as refugees pour into Ukrainian border. Solomon Smith is the father of four children, a husband, a brother and a soldier in the Utah National Guard. Smith’s wife, Tamara Lynn Smith, initially said the idea of going to Poland did not seem ideal to him. Only after their 9-year-old son insisted on going and doing what he was trained to do did Solomon and Tamara Smith realize he would have no choice. “We wanted to help and we could not figure out how to help, and that was actually my idea,” Tamara Smith told KSL NewsRadio. “I think he was thinking about it, but I was the one who suggested it. Then we discussed it with our children. Our eldest, Mark, wanted his dad to leave.” Tamara Smith said her husband had been trained for such a mission, having traveled to Africa to work with the Peace Corps and had twice been assigned to Afghanistan.
Smith can go where others can not or do not want to go
Tamara Smith said her husband is in a unique position to help. Although he will not go to battle zones, he said he relies on contacts made with Polish and Ukrainian clerics for accommodation to help deliver supplies. He said aid agencies such as UNICEF and the Red Cross could only provide supplies in some areas, mainly residential areas, leaving other areas in need. “All these millions of refugees fleeing these big cities under attack have to cross all of (Ukraine) before they reach the border and leave. So between leaving their home and crossing the border with Poland, there is no support for them, “said Tamara Smith. Smith said that is where her husband comes in – helping to bridge this gap with supplies and medicine and food in smaller towns whose shops and clinics are in desperate need. It did not take long for local ministers, pastors, teachers, and medical staff to get in touch with Solomon Smith with specific orders for much-needed supplies. In the days leading up to the trip to Ukraine laden with supplies from his place in Poland, he will often spend the night at a local clinic or church that has helped along the way.
“We play it with the ear”
There is no timetable for Solomon Smith’s return from Poland, although his job with Hill Air Force Base is scheduled to return in May. Tamara Smith said there are many unknowns, including the changing needs of the steady flow of refugees fleeing. He said some others who help bring supplies or transport the many war refugees have only limited time to stay. ×
