More detail on this person: Robert Jimmie Or Jim Rodgers Mize, 76 Robert J. 'Jim' Rodgers Brownwood Bulletin (TX) - Thursday, February 12, 2009 Funeral services for Robert J. "Jim" Rodgers, 76, of Lake Brownwood will be held 11 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 12, at Davis-Morris Funeral Home Chapel, with Jimmie Mize officiating. Interment, with full military honors, will follow in Eastlawn Memorial Park. The family will receive friends from 6-8 p.m. today, at the funeral home. He passed away at a local nursing facility Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2009. Jim was born July 27, 1932, to James D. and Hazel Albertina (McLaughlin) Rodgers in Blanket, and a great-great-grandson, of Capt. Silias Wood, an early Brown County pioneer. Jim graduated from Blanket High School and attended Tarleton State College, 1948-1950, prior to entering the United States Army in October of 1953. Requesting to serve in any manner to further the advancement of air support for the military, he was an honor graduate of his Officer Candidate School and began basic flight school in 1958, at San Marcos. He graduated from helicopter training at Mineral Wells, in 1960, and the Command and Staff College at Fort. Leavenworth, Kan., in 1970. Ordered from Germany 1965, as a senior ranking pilot, he was part of a flight unit organized at Fort Benning, Ga., to send flight crews to Vietnam and was the first to be deployed. On his second tour to Vietnam, he was in command of the first Apache helicopter unit to arrive in the country. Jim was distinguished in service and awarded the Bronze Star Medal with 10 Oak Leaf Clusters; Distinguished Flying Cross; Vietnam Service Medal with 1 Silver and 2 Bronze Service Stars; Army Commendation Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Republic of Viet Nam Campaign Medal; Meritorious Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Senior Aviator Wings, Unit Commendation Award by Viet Nam government, and Air Medals with 27 Bronze Clusters. LTC Robert J. Rodgers retired from the United States Army November 1974. After retiring, Jim volunteered for many organizations. He was with the Family Outreach Board for 18 years beginning in 1988, Child Welfare Board for 15 years, Child Protective Services, President of the Brownwood Planning and Zoning Committee for 10 years, Parenting Coalition of Brown County, Community Collabrative Affairs Committee, Past President of American Legion, and President of the Viet Nam Veterans Association. Jim is survived by his daughters, Vicky Swafford and husband Gayle of Richmond, and Robin Sandifer and husband Mark of Austin; grandchildren, Daron Swafford and wife Tina and Shelley Reed and husband Lane, all of Austin; great-grandchildren, Cassidy and Joey Swafford and Nash Reed; sisters, Emma Maude Hair of Blanket, Etta Marie Baker of Palo Pinto, Letha Sue Hughes of Blum; brothers, Finley Albert Rodgers of Fort Worth and Samuel Joseph Rodgers of Blanket; cousin, Sherry Townsley. He was preceded in death by his wife, Georgia Ola White Rodgers and parents, Hazel and J.D. Rodgers.
Burial information: Eastlawn Memorial Park, Early, TX
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Date posted on this site: 03/10/2024
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