By Amanda Duforat, Contributing Writer

A life well lived involves lasting memories, love, and acts of service. Air Force Veteran Roy Smith is one of those who can say he has experienced what could be marked as a life well lived in his 88 years. After doing his duty and serving his country, Smith built a beautiful life with his late wife Charlene in Big Spring. Recently, Smith was the recipient of a Quilt of Valor at the D.A.V. (Disabled American Veterans) meeting house in a small ceremony.

“She was my co-pilot,” Smith said, as he spoke about his wife. The couple first met while Smith was stationed at Webb Air Force Base during the 1950s. Webb Air Force Base was a United States Air Force facility that was activated in 1951 due to the Korean War and the need for pilots, and was in operation until 1977. According to Smith, he was one of the first groups to go through Webb AFB. The base was an undergraduate pilot training facility for the Air Force. The base was one of many closed by President Carter.

“I hated to see this base close. I believe it was the best training base they had. More days of flying time than anywhere else, at the time,” he said.

Smith’s military service began with his visit to the draft board - on his 18th birthday - in October 1952, and a trip to Corpus Christi.

“I asked the lady what the odds were of me staying out for the next year or so ... I had a job at the time. She told me, ‘Don’t plan anything,’” Smith said. “I had a friend down in Corpus who told me that if I got drafted to go down there, and we would go in together.”

After heading to Corpus Christi, Smith’s friend ended up not being able to go in with him, resulting in Smith entering the service alone. He entered the United States Air Force on Oct. 22, 1952, giving him an opportunity to learn to fly.

“They signed me up, and I tested and tested and tested. I had never taken so many tests in my life,” he said.

Smith arrived at the naval station in Corpus, where they were fed and received their physical.

“They gave us first-class ticket bus ride to San Antone. I got there the next morning about daylight. They fed us ... and the people that were in started to arrive,” Smith said.

There are 72 people in a flight, according to Smith. After reading ‘The Articles of War’ assignments of duty barracks were handed out. For the next 12 weeks, that flight would go through drills, training and preparation for war. Once the 12 weeks concluded, while turning in equipment, Smith was pulled from line and notified that his paperwork had an error.

“They had found out that they had made a mistake on my paperwork while I was turning in my equipment,” Smith said. “They had sent me to Biggs Air Force Base when they were supposed to have sent me to Big Spring Air Force Base.”

Once the paperwork was straightened out, the journey to Big Spring began. Once again, he received a first-class ticket to Webb Air Force Base

“A dirt storm was blowing ... it was a howling,” Smith said. “It was dusky dark.”

At the time there was no through 4th Street; 3rd Street was both ways. Smith recalled the tumbleweeds blowing across 2nd and Gregg Street. With a projected time frame (no way of really knowing) of a year or two in mind, Smith began his time in Big Spring.

“I thought I had come to the end of the world. I had lived in East Texas most of my life,” he said. “It was the middle of a drought, and on the day I arrived there were four pilots that went down on the end of 170; they came in under one another and that was the beginning of my duty out here.”

For the next three years and nine months, Webb Air Force Base was where Smith called home. In March, there were three more pilots that were lost, and as time passed more lives were lost in crashes, fires, and other casualties. Smith served on the flightline during his time at Webb. During those years, there were 49 lives lost.

“After six months of being here they informed us that we would all have to have clearance to work on flightline. They went to my first-grade teacher to make sure I was who I said I was,” he said. “They found out about me, and I was cleared. I continued to work on flightline and that’s where I stayed the rest of the time.”

Before his military career came to an end, Smith earned the rank of Buck Sergeant and put in charge of 9196 Section - servicing piston airplanes. At the time there were 32 men working under him.

As life would have it, back problems began to plague Smith resulting in time spent in the base hospital. Due to an error with the operation, doctors would not release him. As fate would have it though, during this time Smith’s love story began.

“I was released when I was supposed to be, but in the meantime, I got married,” he said.

Joining the military offered Smith a way to learn to fly and brought him to the love of his life. His wife, Charlene, was born and raised in Tarzan, Texas; but would eventually move to finish school in Knott, Texas, placing her in the right area to meet Smith. This coming April would have marked their 69th anniversary.

“We would have been married 69 years the first day of April, but she passed away in September (2022),” he said.

Upon receiving his discharge, the military offered Smith the fourth stripe which would have brought him to the rank of Staff Sergeant and a $1,400 bonus to sign on for an additional four years. However, the offer was not one that he wanted to take.

“I didn’t take it, instead, I got out and bought a filling station. I was going to make it on my own,” he said.

After being discharged from the Air Force and a brief move back to Athens, Texas, the young couple would end up making their home and living their story in Big Spring, Texas.

“When Charlene went to tell

Dr. Nell - whom

she was working for at the time at the Medical Arts Building - that she was going to be leaving, Dr. Nell asked her ‘What would it take to keep him here; I don’t want to lose you’,” Smith said. “Charlene mentioned that I had the opportunity to buy the filling station ... Dr. Nell ended up giving us a loan to get it started.”

Third Street was a two-way street at the time, but when they opened up Fourth Street, the traffic was lost and the business didn’t survive. While the station closed, the opportunities did not stop. The next chapter would bring a management position at a Gulf Station for the next couple of years.

“Once the owner of that station sold out, I ended up going to work for the Big Spring Fire Department,” he said.

For the next four years, at the time that the move to joining Unions was the focus, turmoil was rising. In addition to the external chaos, the danger of fire fighting began to rear its ugly head. During his career with the fire department, Smith fell into a couple burning buildings and saw a few close calls.

“I realized that this was more dangerous than being a police officer. I had the opportunity to start a job at Higginbotham Bartlett.”

The next chapter of his story would last 33 years. After four years, his career would advance him to the next level, in 1968. In 1979, Smith had been employed there for 17 years when the store manager retired and promoted him to manager. For the next 17 years, before retiring in April 1996, he served as Higginbotham-barlett Store Manager.

Since his retirement, he has worked a few different jobs, but for the most part, Charlene and him enjoyed their time together. The couple owned their own airplane and both had their pilots license.

“She would often ride with me while I was training. She said one day that it looked awfully easy, and she wanted to do it too,” Smith said.

In 1966, to obtain a private flying license it cost around $800. While that was a lot of money back in that time, the couple decided to sell their ski boat and start Charlene’s training.

“She started training after I did, but ended up obtaining her license before I did. She would go out with her training and fly; I was only able to fly on certain days since I was working,” Smith said. “I passed and my instructor told me, you passed ... but I tell you what I want you to do; get out here and learn to fly. He was right. I could get it up and get it down, but I still needed a bunch of learning.”

When August rolled around, both were licensed pilots and the journey began. Smith would take his license up another level and earn his commercial license. Their adventures would take them to some beautiful sites to behold.

“Charlene came in one day and said I bought an airplane,” Smith giggled. “I made a deal ... I bought it. It’s ours. She bought our first airplane.”

In the meantime, we lost nine people. Their instructor lost his life in a bad snow storm. After a few unexpected events that took the life of their instructor and a few more, the couple decided to cool down their flight time adventures.

“We kept flying, but we cooled it. When the people who teach you get it, you wake up. We were getting older too,” he said.

Over the years, his journey has taken him to different avenues and accomplishments. While life threw some twists and turns, there were moments that will be cherished forever. From his time in the military, one lesson that has served him well is that as long as you do your job, you will make it.

“My time in the military was good for me. I had a little bit of an attitude, and had smarted off a little while in Basic Training,” he said. “Well, one smart comment stuck me out in the rain scooping water out of a barrel with a thimble. That barrel just so happened to be under the drip.”

While that time may have been long ago, the impact it made is still evident, the memories still - at times - seem fresh, and the doors that were opened are priceless.

Recently, those memories were revisited as Smith was presented with a Quilt of

Valor.

“When that quilt went around his shoulders, he was speechless,” Mike Tarpley, Quilt of Valor presenter, said.

Smith added, “I still am ... it is really a nice-made thing. The ladies put a lot of love into that blanket.”

There have been more than 350,000 quilts awarded in the United States, Germany, Iraq and Afghanistan. With each quilt the mission to honor service members and veterans is fulfilled - one human-being reaching out and touching another without judgement, reaching out with acceptance and with acknowledgement of service to our nation in very trying circumstances.

“The Quilts of Valor Foundation recognizes war demons that plague soldiers from all wars. There are thousands of quilters across the United States working to make these quilts to cover our warriors, from all conflicts,” Tarpley said. “Each of these quilts is composed of love, tears, and heartfelt appreciation and gratitude from many ladies.”

The quilts are made up of three layers: the top with its many colors, shapes and fabrics represent the community and the many individuals we are; the batting - filler - is the center of the quilt, its warmth.

“This second layer represents the hope that this quilt will bring warmth, comfort, peace and healing to the individual who receives it,” Tarpley said during the presentation.

The backing is the final layer and it represents strength that supports the other layers. It represents the strength of the recipient, the support of his or her family, communities and nation. Each of the stitches holding the layers together represent love, gratitude and sometimes the tears of the maker. Each quilt represents the three-part message from the givers to the recipient.

“We honor you for your service. We honor you for leaving all you hold dear and to stand in harm’s way in a time of crisis, protecting us from the effects of war,” Tarpley said. “Next, we know that freedom is not free. The cost of freedom is the dedication of the lives of men and women like you, and this quilt is meant to say thank you for your sacrifice.”

He continued, “Finally, this quilt is meant to offer comfort to you and to remind you that although your family and friends cannot be with you at all times, you are forever in our thoughts and hearts.”