More detail on this person: Charles R. Smith
loving husband, father and grandfather, died at 85
of natural causes on June 1, 2014.
Rufus is survived by five children, Carolyn,
Charlie, Dana, Greg, and Alison, and 10
grandchildren.
He was born in San Francisco to a military family
that settled in Santa Barbara where he met and
married Nancy, his wife of 60 years. He graduated
from West Point in 1950 and rose to the rank of
colonel in the U.S. Army before retiring in 1974.
Throughout his military career, Rufus was an
Infantry officer. He served in the Korean and
Vietnam Wars. He received many honors, including
two Silver Stars, two Legions of Merit, two Bronze
Stars, and three Air Medals. Between tours in
Vietnam, he became a helicopter pilot and flew
during his second tour. From 1974 through 1989, he
served as a civilian Congressional Liaison for the
Army Materiel Command.
He will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery
on October 16, 2014, following a 10:45 a.m.
service at the Old Post Chapel. In lieu of
flowers, the family asks that donations be made to
the National Museum of the U.S. Army,
www.armyhistory.org
Published in The Washington Post on June 28,
2014
Burial information: Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA
This information was last updated 05/18/2016
Please send additions or corrections to: HQ@vhpa.org VHPA Headquarters
Return to the Helicopter Pilot DAT name list
Return to VHPA web site
Date posted on this site: 03/10/2024
Copyright © 1998 - 2024 Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association