Rodney graduated from UTEP and attended medical school in Galveston. He then attended UT in Austin in microbiology and then off to the Navy. As I understand it, he was landing on an aircraft carrier and hit the Med. instead, around 1968. Rodney Max Smith was my Best Man when Donna and I wed in 1964. And I was a groomsman at his wedding. His death has haunted me for more than 40 years. He had a great mind but such a short life.
I had the good fortune to be seated next to Rodney in the fourth grade at Rusk. Mrs Bailey headed up a no-nonsense class and often punctuated her loud admonishions to her students by slamming a drawer to her desk so hard that the room shook. Rodney was always cool, probably because he was the smartest kid in the class and when he stood up to recite out of his workbook, Mrs. Bailey would lay down her ruler and quit slamming drawers. Rodney's death was loss not only to his family but to his community and country as well. Tommy Baird, Joe Nelson and Henry Madison all knew Rodney well from Rusk and Austin and I believe that they are all attending the reunion. I'm looking forward to seeing all of them again.
Robert Blystone
Rodney graduated from UTEP and attended medical school in Galveston. He then attended UT in Austin in microbiology and then off to the Navy. As I understand it, he was landing on an aircraft carrier and hit the Med. instead, around 1968. Rodney Max Smith was my Best Man when Donna and I wed in 1964. And I was a groomsman at his wedding. His death has haunted me for more than 40 years. He had a great mind but such a short life.
Robert Cobb
I had the good fortune to be seated next to Rodney in the fourth grade at Rusk. Mrs Bailey headed up a no-nonsense class and often punctuated her loud admonishions to her students by slamming a drawer to her desk so hard that the room shook. Rodney was always cool, probably because he was the smartest kid in the class and when he stood up to recite out of his workbook, Mrs. Bailey would lay down her ruler and quit slamming drawers. Rodney's death was loss not only to his family but to his community and country as well. Tommy Baird, Joe Nelson and Henry Madison all knew Rodney well from Rusk and Austin and I believe that they are all attending the reunion. I'm looking forward to seeing all of them again.