Robert Smith: Everyone in the Army is a soldier

By Al Rodriguez, Honor Flight Chicago Veteran Interview Volunteer

Robert ‘Bobby’ told me no matter what job you had in the Army you were a soldier. When they needed you to pick up a rifle, that’s what you did.

Bobby was born in Laurens, South Carolina. There were three siblings, one other brother and a sister. While in high school he worked for a cotton mill. When he was 17 he went to an Army recruiter to join up and with his parent’s consent he enlisted. When he told the cotton mill owner about his plans, he told him since he was such a good worker he would not hesitate to hire him back. 

Bobby was bussed from Laurens to Fort Jackson in Columbia, South Carolina, starting his basic training on 12/9/1969. When he finished Basic he also attended his Advanced Individual Training as a supply specialist at Fort Jackson. After completion of his AIT in April of 1970 he was sent to Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks, Alaska. Bobby, having lived in South Carolina, hated the cold in Alaska. He also wanted to help with the war in Vietnam so he volunteered for combat duty. He was able to go home on leave and see his family before going to Vietnam.

March 1971 he arrived in Cam Rahn Bay, Vietnam. This was a tough time in the Vietnam War for the American troops, the Vietnamization of the war. American combat troops were being sent home with the South Vietnamese Army shouldering more of the combat. Meanwhile American troops were still arriving in Vietnam. Bobby was sent to Chu Lai with the 23rd Americal Division, 196th Light Infantry Battalion. He worked as a supply specialist, transporting equipment to the outlying troops defending the surrounding hills. While delivering supplies on Hill 270, Bobby was involved in a firefight on LZ Linda—a semi-permanent fire base in the bush. He said that parts of the hill were so steep that only a Billy goat could climb it. 

A couple of guys rotated back to the U.S. and Bobby had to temporarily replace one of them in LZ Rawhide on Hill 65 previously defended by the Marines. The Marines left Vietnam in June 1971 leaving a few advisors. He was involved in a fire fight there.

One good memory Bobby had of Vietnam was that he attended the 1971 Bob Hope Christmas show that came to Da Nang. He said he loved watching the entertainers and that Bob Hope was a wonderful young man for putting on a show for the soldiers.

In April of 1972 Bobby finished his tour of duty and was sent to Fort Carson, Colorado. As a side note, the 196th Light Infantry Brigade left South Vietnam on 29 June 1972, the last combat brigade to leave Vietnam. Bobby said Colorado is a beautiful state and he loved his time there.

November 1973 he was honorably discharged from the Army. His uncle owned a tile business in Glen Park, Indiana and told him about the steel mill job opportunities in the area and convinced him to move to Indiana. He got his G.E.D. at Ivy Tech and went to work at the Vulcan Mold and Iron Company in Lansing, Illinois. He got married in April 1974 and had two children, a girl born in 1980 and a boy born in 1983. Bobby bought a house with the G.I. Bill of Rights. He left Vulcan Mold and Iron and went to work at Bethlehem Steel working as a crane operator until his retirement. Bobby said that he never joined any veteran organizations and that his hobby was working. He worked all the overtime he could get. He’s thankful for his wife because if it wouldn’t have been for her, he wouldn’t have had a family life. His children were taken care of and no matter when he came home from work she had dinner ready for him.

About his time in Vietnam, Bobby said he was awarded a Bronze Star but not sure why. He said “that was more than fifty years ago and my memory is shot for everything.” He has physical issues from the war that in the last couple of years the V.A. has acknowledged but only because he said “I had to fight like hell with them.” His wife Linda said that he had a bad time when he came back from Vietnam. Linda was hospitalized a couple of years ago. Bobby went to visit her and the Nurse Practitioner, Chad Bogue an Honor Flight Chicago volunteer, recognized Bobby from when they worked together at Bethlehem Steel. Chad asked Bobby if he had flown to D.C. with Honor Flight Chicago. Bobby didn’t know anything about it but agreed to fill out an application.

Bobby has never been to D.C. His company commander, Captain Knight died in Vietnam and he would like to find his name on the Vietnam Memorial Wall.

Thank you Bobby! You may have problems remembering the past but we will not forget you. Enjoy your day in D.C!