SMITH JAMES A #1

LTC James "Jim" A. Smith was a VHPA member who died after his tour in Vietnam on 07/19/2011 at the age of 64.8
Walnut Creek, CA
Flight Class 70-22
Date of Birth 10/05/1946
Served in the U.S. Army
Served in Vietnam with 173 AHC in 70-71, 11 CAG 1 CAV in 71
Call signs in Vietnam ROBINHOOD, ZULU 16
This information was provided by Sammie Williams

More detail on this person: LT COL James (Jimmy) Allen Smith LT COL James (Jimmy) Allen (Retired) died July 19, 2011 in Concord, California. He is survived by his loving mother, Olga G. Smith of McAllen, TX; his children, Laurie Smith Cantu (Joe) of Edinburg, TX and Travis E. Smith of Wichita, Kansas; his grandsons, Nathan and Jacob Cantu; his sisters, Carol Loyd (Chuck) and Shelley Bryant (Paul); and his devoted girlfriend, Laura Glass. Jim was preceded in death by his father, Gerald Smith. Jim was born on October 5, 1946 in Coshocton, Ohio, but considered himself to be a native Texan. He earned his Eagle rank in Boy Scouts during his scout years with Troop 7 in McAllen. He graduated from McAllen High in 1964 and The University of Texas at Austin in 1969. He proudly served our country in the US Army for 20 years, and bravely piloted UH-1 helicopters during the Vietnam War. His service continued to his community through his volunteer work with the Boy Scouts of America. He held many different positions within the Bay Area Boy Scout council. He was a cheerful servant to his country and community. Jim's memorial service was held in Walnut Creek on July 23, 2011. The attendance was standing room only with many friends and scouts turning out to pay their respects. His family could not have felt any more proud than to hear how positively he had impacted the lives around him. Jim had a perpetual zest for life, good wine, Twizzlers, and hot sauce. When Jim entered the room, his presence was grand; he filled our lives with joy, laughter, and love. He had a heart the size of Texas and gladly shared it with everyone he knew. He will be dearly missed. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Rio Grande Council Boy Scouts of America, PO BOX 2424, Harlingen, TX, 78551. A service with full military honors: at the Rio Grande Valley Veterans Cemetery, Friday, August 5, 2011 at 10:00 AM. Published in The Monitor on August 4, 2011

Burial information: Rio Grande Valley State Veterans Cemetery, Mission, TX

This information was last updated 08/21/2020

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