Dick Smith: Veteran’s Walk of Honor

Some people accomplish amazing things with their time. Others are just wonderful and a pleasure to know.

Occasionally, a person is both.

Dick Smith is one of those people who fall into the category of “both.”

His life started out in East St. Louis, Ill., where he was raised and later graduated from high school. When Dick turned 18 he wanted to join the military, but as he wasn’t interested in going to Korea, he joined the Air Force instead of the army. Three months later he was in Korea.

Three years later he found himself in Charleston, South Carolina, as a military police officer. There he met a finance clerk named Nancy and after three daughters, eight grandchildren, fifty years and one quadruple bypass, he is still happily married. He believes she feels the same.

Dick is a man who just doesn’t stop. He retired from his position as a criminal investigator for the Air Force in 1975 and went on to become a civilian investigator, spending a total of 28 years in this line of work. He retired for the second time in 1994, but only because of heart problems. In recent years he has been on too many committees and task forces to list. A couple of these are the Boys and Girls Club where Mr. Smith has been for almost 12 years now and the County Planning Commission. He is Chairman of the Multnomah Sheriff’s Council, where he acts as a link between the citizens and the Sheriff to resolve problems and complaints.

However, his most visible involvement has been as Chairman of the Veterans Walk of Honor at Merlin Park. He was elected to the park’s board in 1995 and came up with the concept of dedicating a portion of the park to commemorating veterans and military personell, but the committee was unsure of what it should consist of and further, they would have to raise the funds themselves. After eight months they decided to use obelisks (upright pillars). The design features nine of these obelisks, each standing eight feet high and featuring over 700 names thus far, with the capacity to hold 3600.

Name inclusion is simple: anyone in Josephine County can donate $100 and nominate any U.S. Veteran from any war. Many nominate family members, but there are also veterans who have nominated people they have served with and want to remember in this manner. Anyone who has served honorably or is currently serving in the armed forces or merchant marine services of the United States or those in active duty, reserves, or guard units are eligible. Twenty-eight names were recently added and the committe looks forward to added more in time for Veteran’s Day this coming November. As it takes at least a week to engrave names, names need to be submitted as soon as possible in order to have them up by this date.

The historical portion of the Veteran’s Walk of Honor remains incomplete. The committee hopes to make this section interactive. Visitors will have the ability to go to a name and view a short video relevant to the veteran they have chosen. For as many as possible, the audio video will include the veteran introducing himself and giving a brief biography of his or her military involvement. The project is still in its infancy, but the idea is there and when Dick Smith is involved, ideas become reality.

On the other hand, the reality of building a stunning Veteran’s memorial is that it takes time, commitment, and cold, hard cash. So far the community outpour has been amazing and includes individuals, small companies, and various businesses. Russ Heater of Sherm Realtors funded the initial drive. Carl Wilson, CFO of KAJO radio, gave the Veteran’s Walk of Honor concept six months of exposure, while Walter Slater of Wildlife Images became highly involved in fundraising efforts. Evergreen Federal gave a very generous donation, and another company provided granite for the obelisks. Continued funding remains an issue. For those interested in seeing the Veteran’s Walk of Honor completed, you can become involved by visiting the park’s website at this link: http://www.merlincommunitypark.org/ Information on sponsorship and name submission is located on the right hand side of the Veteran’s Walk of Honor photograph.

member of the air force office of special invetigations hall of fame 2005