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MEMORIAL ARTICLE
Published Assembly Jan '94
William Robert Smith No.15973 Class of 1946
Died 14 February 1993 at Austin, Texas, aged 68 years.
Interment: Ashes dispersed over Lake Travis, Austin, Texas.
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William Robert (Bob) Smith was born 22 September
1924 in El Paso, Texas. The middle child of five siblings, Bob
was named for his paternal grandfather, who served as District
Judge of Western Texas for many years. Bob's father was a lawyer
who accepted a position with the US Treasury Department in 1935.
This involved moving the family from El Paso to Washington, DC.
Bob was eleven at the time. It was on the trip across country
that Bob first announced his intention to attend West Point.
As his brother Breedlove remembered, "From that time forward
until his graduation as a second lieutenant in 1946, he kept
his eye on that aiming point... Even during his teens, he showed
that he was adept at using charm to manipulate others. Excellent
mediation skills and strong loyalties to peer groups were two
of his dominant traits. Energetic and interested in everything,
Bob was fun to be with; he always welcomed you with open arms.
Forever grinning, he made you feel good."
In 1942-43.Bob was a senior at Woodrow Wilson High
School in Washington, DC. He obtained a temporary leave to attend
the Sullivan School to prep for the West Point entrance exam.
A friend and classmate, John M. (Jack) Shultz, recalled, "On
an overcast, but otherwise clear day in January 1943, headmaster
Gerald Sullivan (USMA Class of '24) introduced me to Bob Smith.
That was the first time I saw his trademark bright eyed, boyish
grin. Bob spent two or more months at 'Sully's,' passed the exams
in March, returned to high school and graduated in step with
his class in June of 1943... I learned some interesting things
about his life. He had a paper route in 1941 and on 7 December
delivered the Sunday paper to the Japanese Embassy in Washington.
He recalled seeing unusually heavy smoke rising from the chimney.
He surmised later that the embassy staff was frantically burning
documents in the hours before Pearl Harbor. Another of his customers
was Secretary of War Henry Stimson, whom Bob saw and spoke with
on the Stinpson front porch one day." Bob obtained his coveted
appointment and joined the Class of 1946 on 1 July 1943.
Bob's cadet days are best summed up by the comments
of his roommate, Richard C. (Dick) Tuck: "I could not have
asked for a better roommate than Bob Smith. He was congenial
at all times, did more than his share of what needed to be done
and always had an optimistic outlook on life. Bob entered West
Point with such a good attitude. He was dedicated to becoming
an officer and seemed to understand and accept that it wouldn't
be easy. Entering straight from high school, Bob found that academics
presented a difficult challenge. Military and physical training
came more easily to him, as he was agile, quick and stronger
than his slight build might seem. He thrived under the plebe
system and never had trouble with the tactical department"
Bob pinned on the bars of a second lieutenant in the Field Artillery
at graduation.
Following basic schooling, Bob served with the
11th Airborne Division Artillery in Japan in 1947. When the division
rotated back to Fort Campbell, Kentucky, Bob returned with it.
He remained at Fort Campbell until 1952, with a few months thrown
in at Fort Bliss, Texas for schooling. The Advanced Officer's
Course at Fort Sill, Oklahoma followed and then it was back to
the Far East to Korea with the 17th FA Battalion and Headquarters
Eighth Army. Bob returned to Fort Bliss in 1954on the Staff and
Faculty of the Artillery School. In 1956, he became aide de camp
to the Commanding General of the Anti-Aircraft and Guided Missile
Center. Bob married Nancy Saunders in El Paso, Texas on 9 February
1957. Later that year, the Smiths moved to Fort Sill, Oklahoma,
where Bob was assigned to the G-3 Section of the Artillery and
Missile Center. He was selected to attend the Command and General
Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas in 1959. His next assignment
was with the 2nd Missile Battalion, 81st Artillery. In 1962,
Bob joined the Staff and Faculty of the Air Defense School at
Fort Bliss. In 1966, he served a year in Vietnam with Headquarters,
Military Assistance Command Vietnam. Bob retired in El Paso,
Texas as a lieutenant colonel in 1967.
After retirement, Bob became a partner in an insurance
agency and remained there until 1975. He then joined the El Paso
Industrial Development Corporation. He and Nancy were divorced
in 1978, and Bob moved to Austin, Texas, where he became Energy
Program Coordinator with the Texas Industrial Commission. There
he was once more associated with his friend and classmate, Jack
Shultz, who recalled: "At the Industrial Commission, Bob's
assignment was to plan, prepare for and operate the annual Energy
Conservation Conference for the State of Texas staged in Houston
and attended by people from all across the nation. The very first
of the series of conferences was in 1979. Bob was its creator
and implementer. He started with the proverbial blank sheet of
paper, searched for precedents, mastered details and produced
a flawless conference. Bob was innovative yet a master of detail;
capable, productive, effective and utterly dependable."
Bob retired from professional life in 1984. His
daughter Nancy recalls, "He loved living in Austin and took
full advantage of all the opportunities the city had to offer.
From spending time at the Lake to enjoying a wide variety of
cultural events, to attending University of Texas football games,
to becoming a gourmet cook, he made the most of his retirement
years. Dad often wondered during those years how he ever found
time to work"
William R. (Bob) Smith died in Austin, Texas on
14 February 1993 after a long illness. Many of his close friends
and family came together that week in Austin to celebrate his
life at a memorial service. His second son, Lieutenant Wesley
Smith, US Navy Air Corps, a decorated veteran of the Persian
Gulf War, gave the traditional military salute to his father
as a final farewell. Bob is also survived by his daughter and
son in law, Nancy and Johnny Johnson; his son and daughter in
law, Bobby and Laura Smith; his mother, Zenobia Woodruff; and
his two brothers, Breedlove and Dan.
Bob Smith was proud to be a West Pointer. His brother,
Breedlove recalled: "Patriotic, almost to the point of fanaticism,
Bob truly loved his country and zealously supported and defended
the US and its interests." Jack Shultz recalled: "Bob
had a wonderful sense of humor, a zest for living and for fun,
and excellent taste in selecting anything from a restaurant to
entertainment. He was tremendously proud of his three children
and was fully justified in that pride." Bob's friend, Sam
H. Baker of Austin, remembered: "Bob had a strong sense
of family. He took great pride in the accomplishments of his
children and was the mover and shaker in organizing a series
of Smith Family Reunions. Bob strongly believed in thinking positive
thoughts and expecting the best of people and situations. His
favorite scripture was Psalm 118: 'This is the day which the
Lord hath made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.'" Bob
rejoiced and was glad for each day of his life, one day at a
time. He didn't have to think about Duly, Honor, County";
those tenets were second nature to him. The Class of '46 joins
his family and friends in saying, "Rest In Peace, Bob!"
'46 Memorial Article Project and His Family
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