Posted by Terry Powers on January 19, 2023:

RUSSELL H. SMITH 1949 Cullum No. 16787-1949 | April 2, 2013 | Died in Pittsburgh, PA Interred in West Point Cemetery, NY The only child of Charles and Gladys (Hannigan) Smith, Russell Hinett Smith was born in Springfield, MA, on Jan 23, 1928, and educated in Springfield public schools. In his senior year of high school, Russ fulfilled a childhood ambition by winning a competitive Congressional appointment to West Point. He entered the Academy with the Class of 1949 on July 1, 1945. Russ had no problem with academics, wearing stars from his Third through First Class years. Graduating on June 3, 1949, Russ realized another boyhood dream by entering pilot training as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force. He won his wings at Williams AFB, AZ, on August 4, 1950, having previously completed Basic at James Connally AFB, TX. After pilot training Russ returned to West Point to marry his high school sweetheart, Jean Lyons, in the Catholic Chapel on Aug 12, 1950. Following instructing tours back at Connally, where he was promoted to first lieutenant, and at Williams, where the marriage of Jean and Russ was blessed with their first child, Carolyn, he was selected to return to West Point as an English instructor. The three years at the Academy saw the arrival of sons Russell and Stephen and his promotion to captain. In June of 1956, Russ was selected to upgrade to the supersonic F-100 fighter. On completion of F-100 training at Nellis AFB, NV, he drew his first overseas assignment, joining the F-100D equipped 12th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Clark AFB in the Philippines, where he advanced through Flight Commander to Assistant Squadron Operations Officer. Russ hoped to return to the States in fighter operations after his overseas tour, but found himself at SAC assigned as a B-47 commander to the 19th Bomb Wing at Homestead AFB, FL, and as a B-52 aircraft commander and Chief, Emergency War Plans Branch, of the 410th Bomb Wing at K.I. Sawyer AFB, MI. After attending the Armed Forces Staff College in 1964, he finished his SAC assignment as commander of a Management Engineering Team at Bunker Hill AFB, IN. He was promoted to major on Jul 15, 1962, and to lieutenant colonel on March 3, 1966. In the spring of 1966 Russ was accepted into a program at the Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH, which led to a master's degree in aeronautical engineering. On graduation he volunteered for combat duty in Southeast Asia and was delighted to return to fighters. After F-4 training at George AFB, CA, he was assigned to Cam Ranh Bay AB, RVN. His combat tour was spent as Executive Officer of the 558th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Cam Ranh Bay and as Assistant and later Deputy Commander for Operations of the 37th Tactical Fighter Wing at Phu Cat AB, RVN. He was promoted to colonel on Mar 1, 1970. Based on his 175 combat missions, Russ was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star Medal, and the Air Medal with eight oak leaf clusters. On return from Southeast Asia, Russ was assigned to the Air War College for entry with the Class of 1971, and upon graduation he was retained at the AWC as Chief of the Seminar Division. In September of 1972 Russ became Commandant of Air University's Institute for Professional Development. His new position entailed overseeing courses for AF lawyers, comptrollers and personnel officers, and the conduct of a new course for wing commanders designed to familiarize them with the host of problems besetting the military in the 1970s. Upon completion of his tour at the Air University he was awarded the Legion of Merit. In June of 1974 Russ became Chief, Policy Division, Directorate of Plans and Policy (J-5), U.S. Readiness Command. In this position he assumed a responsibility that was totally new to him, that of coordinating all joint Special Operations training worldwide. He participated in Special Operations exercises in Europe and Alaska and flew several night insertion/extraction and resupply missions with AF Special Operations crews in Combat Talon C-130s. In 1977 Russ was urged by the owner of the Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics to accept the position of Director of Academic Programs with the specific task of developing a course in avionics ("black box") maintenance. Russ retired from the Air Force at the end of July 1977, after 28 years of very rewarding service, and was awarded a second Legion of Merit on retirement. Russ dove into his new task and in 18 months had prepared all of the materials required to initiate a new 21-month associate degree program in advanced avionics maintenance. His mission accomplished, in 1981 Russ secured a position as a Senior Field Service Engineer with Westinghouse's Nuclear Services Division. He spent the final ten years of his work life planning and conducting safety inspections of nuclear power steam plant generators, retiring from Westinghouse in January 1992. Looking back on almost 43 work years, spanning three "careers," Russ concluded that he had never had a bad job, but his first love remained the Air Force and the 5,000 flying hours he amassed. Russ and Jean remained in the South Hills of Pittsburgh following his final retirement. In addition to playing golf in an "over 60" league, Russ delivered Meals-on-Wheels and was a volunteer tutor at PIA and at a halfway house for recovering alcoholics and drug addicts. Thus service to others remained the key element of Russ' life to the end. Russ succumbed to cancer on Apr 2, 2013, after a 4-year battle. Jean passed on Apr 3, 2013, joining Russ in eternal love.

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