Charles Bradford Smith

Brig. General (retired) Charles Bradford Smith. "Brad" Smith was - born in Lambertville, New Jersey in 1916. He died on May 23, 2004, in Scottsdale, Arizona. He was preceded in death by his son, Craig, and is survived by his wife, Bettie, daughter, Kim Cullum, son,
Brian, son-in-law, Rod Cullum, and grandchildren, Lindsay and Bradley Cullum. He is also survived by dear relatives by marriage, Wilma and Joe Cullum, Ranae and Steve Kauffman, Myles, Travis and Devlin Ferger and DaLena Buck. Brad graduated from West Point in 1939. His first post was to Schofield Barracks, Oahu, Territory of Hawaii. He was in command of a company in the 35th Infantry of the 25th Division. In October 1941 he and Bettie Evans of Los Angeles, California, were married in the Chapel at Schofield. They have been together for 62 years. On December 7, 1941, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and other locations on Oahu. Smith went with units of the Division to their defensive positions around the island. They stayed in the field for a few months. During that time, Smith attempted to save a pilot whose plane had plummeted into the ocean off Barbers Point. For his actions, he was awarded the Soldiers Medal. Later in 1941 the Division sailed to Guadalcanal and fought the Japanese forces there and in New Caledonia as American units pushed further into enemy-held territory. Brad returned to the states in 1944 and attended the Command and General Staff College at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. He then became an instructor at Ft. Benning, Georgia. He was later assigned to the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. where he served for 3½ years. In 1949 he and the family traveled to Kumamoto, Japan where he had duty as a Battalion Commander in the 21st Infantry regiment of the 24th Division. In June of 1950 the Communist North Korean forces attacked South Korea. Smith's battalion was ordered to Pusan and then to Osan; becoming the first American ground forces to fight and delay the attacking North Koreans. This group of American soldiers is known as "Task Force Smith". The Korean War, known as the "Forgotten War," ended in 1953 with a truce. Smith was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and a Silver Star for his combat leadership. His other decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, The Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, and the Korean Medal of Honor. After his return from Korea, other assignments took him to serve with Army Field Forces at Ft. Monroe, VA; Ft. MacArthur, CA; the War College at Carlisle, PA; and Naples, Italy with NATO Southern Command for 3 years. He then moved to Ft. Benning, GA., where he commanded the 15th Infantry Battle Group of the 3rd Division. He went to Wurzburg, Germany with the Division and was Chief of Staff for 3 years. His next assignment was with the Army-Navy War College in Norfolk, VA, where he was Assistant Commandant. He then became Chief of Staff of the 2nd Army at Ft. Meade, MD. From there, the family moved to Ft. Carson, CO where he served as Assistant Division Commander of the 5th Division. Smith retired from the army and moved with his family to Arizona where he worked for Motorola Semiconductor Division. He and Bettie continued traveling and daughter Kim was often with them. In 1978 Kim and Rod joined Brad and Bettie in an extended, unforgettable tour of Europe. Later trips included traveling with other family members to Hawaii, Florida, California, and to a vacation home in Pinetop, AZ. Brad enjoyed watching his grandchildren's many games including T-ball, softball, baseball, basketball, soccer, volleyball, rowing, football, and lacrosse . . . he cheered them all, bundled up in cold weather and baking in the hot. Two pairs of grandparents had wonderful times. Brad and Bettie traveled twice to Seoul, South Korea to take part in dedication ceremonies for two Task Force Smith memorials. There were also trips to Task Force reunions and commemorations in Washington, D.C. He was a member of the commission that brought the Korean Memorial to Wesley Bolin Plaza in Phoenix.
"Duty, Honor, Country" -
Brad lived by these words with integrity and faith. He loved America, his close-knit family, and treasured friends. He had an interesting and full life, which will be celebrated on Sunday, June 6 at Chaparral Christian Church, 6451 E. Shea Blvd., Scottsdale, at 1:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Prayer Garden or Youth Scholarship Fund at the church.