Roger H. Smith

Roger H. Smith, Lt.Col. USAF (Ret), 93, of Punta Gorda, FL passed awayOctober 9, 2010. He was born July 18, 1917 in New Castle, Indiana to Rose Francis (Porter) and Harold James Smith. Roger lived in Muncie, Indiana and in 1930 moved to Redkey, Indiana, graduating high school in 1935. In 1936, he worked for the Dept. of Agriculture at Purdue University, as a draftsman. He started flying at Purdue Airport and later purchased his own airplane which he flew until 1941 when he enlisted in the Army Air Corps. At this time he was working in Indianapolis, Indiana, and took a leave from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, and was hired to design the water system at Camp Atterbury, Ind. This he almost completed before the Army called him to active duty. Roger was commissioned in April 1942 to be an instructor pilot since he had a commercial license and over 500 hrs. upon entering the service. He instructed in single engine basic and advance and twin engine advance, then 4 engine B-17 teaching co-pilots and gunners. With the B-29 program he trained with a combat crew and was sent to Okinawa as the war ended. He landed the first B-29 at Yakota, Japan after a runway was built to permit th...[more]

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anding of a B-29 in Japan. He was given the job of photographing all the targets in Russia that the U.S. would want, should we have problems with Russia. This took six months, and was never caught by the Russians. In 1947, he was assigned to SAC and flew the B-47 and B-52. He spent one year in Korea as Base Supply Officer for the 67 Tac. Recon.Wing. He had two tours with the 15 th Air Force at March Air Force Base as Logistics Officer; one three year tour with the 16 th Air Force in Spain (one year as the Club Officer); four years as an inspector with the Defense Supply Agency; four years at Eglin Air Force Base as Logistics Officer for SAC; two years in Vietnam as the Air Force member of the Military Advisory Group, three years at Wright Patterson Air Force Base as Chief of the Air Force Equipment and Management Team, an exotic IG team reporting only to the Chief of Staff USAF. He retired October 1969 after 28 years at Wright Patterson AFB. Roger married his wife Phyllis in 1970 by Judge Harold Smith (Roger's father) in Redkey, Indiana. They lived in Alexandria, Va. for nine years and he worked for the Fairfax School system eight years before moving to Punta Gorda, Fla. in 1979. Roger managed the Extra Closet Self Storage facility in Charlotte Harbor, Fla for 15 years, as well as Lock & Key Storage 7 years. He was a member of Scottish Rite and Araba Shrine in Fort Myers; Blue Lodge in Redkey, Indiana and past Life Member of MacArthur's Scottish Rite Lodge in the Phillipines; Past President and founding member of the Charlotte Harbor MOAA, a member of Charlotte County Shrine Club; Chairman of the Military Band program of MOAA for 15 years: Life Member DAV; Life Member VFW; Member of the American Legion Post 103, Punta Gorda Elks, Isles Yacht Club, Charlotte County Republican Club, Honorary member of Royal Order Ponce deLeon Conquistadors, past member of Peace River Antique Car Club, Member of the Brevet Flying Club in England. He was a member of the Burnt Store Presbyterian Church. He is survived by his wife Phyllis, daughter Shelly (Michael) Rill of New Jersey; two step-daughters, Linda (Bill) Hostutler in Kettering, Ohio and Jane (Wm D.) Mason of Jim Thorpe, Pa; 7 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren. The visitation will be from 2:00 pm till 4:00pm, Wednesday, October 13, 2010 at the Kays-Ponger & Uselton Funeral Home, 635 E Marion Ave, Punta Gorda, FL 33950. A Masonic Service will commence at 3:30 pm at the funeral home. The Memorial Sevice will be held at 11:00 am, Thursday, October 14, 2010 at the Burnt Store Presbyterian Church, 11330 Burnt Store Road, Punta Gorda, FL 33955 with the Rev Tim Stewart officiating. Inurnment with full military honors will be held in the spring at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA. The family requests donations in lieu of flowers in memory of Roger be made to the Araba Shriners Childrens Hospital at shrinershq.org or to the Burnt Store Presbyterian Church