Obituary of Nelson Bishop Smith

Nelson B. Smith was born in Tulsa, OK to Nelson B. Sr. and Alta Adams Smith. Nelson Passed from this life on Saturday, January 20, 2016. He was a depression-era hero of the greatest generation and a proud yellow dog Democrat. He married Gloria Ann Johnson before bravely serving in the Army during WWII. Nelson chronicled his war experiences in a book titled: I Was a Solder! I Will Always Be a Soldier! He was the subject of a feature article in the Tulsa World as a WWII veteran. Nelson and Gloria were married 70 years before her passing in 2013. Nelson was a skilled 4th generation craftsman and woodworker. As a remodeling contractor, trim carpenter and fine furniture builder, he was respected and admired for precision and excellence. Nelson was known for his honest and loyalty. He took great pride in his work and the relationships he built with his customers, employees and friends. His word was his bond. He was always ready with a great story from the old neighborhood, a practical joke or a prank. Nelson’s great love was his family. There has never been a more loving, dedicated husband, father or grandfather. He is survived by his children Lisa Smith and Ward Smith and his wife Tracey; granddaughter Gloria Jean Smith; brothers-in-law Jack Cole; Jim Blankenship; sister-in-law Arlene Smith; nephews Tom Gann; Chuck Walker; Jeff Smith; Scott Adams; Patrick Blankenship; Jack Blankenship; nieces Kathy Perez; Suzanne Niblock; and Heather Murphy. Funeral Services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Thursday, February 4, 2016 at Memorial Park Cemetery Chapel in Tulsa. Visitation will be at Green Hill Funeral Home (Sapulpa) on Wednesday from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m. The family has entrusted the services to the directors at Green Hill Funeral Home. 9182242312/www.greenhill.com Copied from the Tulsa World 2/3/2016 - Tim Stanley World War II 'recon man' from Sand Springs Nelson Smith, a veteran of five major European campaigns who was featured in the Tulsa World’s “Serving Our Country: World War II Veterans Remember” series last year, died Saturday, family members said. He was 91. A service is set for 2 p.m. Thursday at Memorial Park Cemetery Chapel. Green Hill Funeral Home in Sapulpa is handling arrangements. “We lost our soldier,” said Ward Smith, Smith’s son. “My mother died three years ago last month, and Dad was 91 and suffering. It was time he joined her.” A 1943 graduate of Webster High School, Nelson Smith was drafted into the Army in April 1943. He arrived in France on D-Day, June 6, 1945, going in six hours after the first wave of troops at Omaha Beach. A reconnaissance soldier, Smith’s job was to scout ahead and report back to the main forces. But, he said, as often as not, he and his fellow “recon men” ended up in skirmishes with the enemy. He would go on to participate in five major campaigns, including the Battle of the Bulge, spending 308 days on or behind enemy lines. He served with the 21st Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop and later the 32nd Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron. For several weeks, he provided reconnaissance for Gen. George Patton’s “Hell on Wheels” 2nd Armored Division as it moved across France. “Most of the time I did my very best at a particular job and to look out for my friends,” Smith wrote later in a personal account, “but there were times when I was so tired and disgusted I didn’t give a damn. When you exist on cigarettes and adrenaline it doesn’t take long to change your attitude.” In his interview with the World, Smith recalled the toll of being in such proximity to death all the time. Seeing dead or mortally wounded Americans, he said, was the worst. “I can still see the faces of some of them I was close to.” Sometimes, war is necessary, Smith said. “But there’s no glory in it.” After the war, Smith went on to a long career as a Tulsa-area building and remodeling contractor. Since his father suffered a fall last June, Ward Smith had been living with him to care for him and his pet cat, Biscuit. “Dad was my best friend,” he said. He said his father had battled his health problems bravely. But it was clear he was pining away for his late wife, Gloria. The couple were married for 70 years. Survivors include his children, Lisa Smith and Ward Smith; and one granddaughter.