Hondo Smith

Funeral service for Hugh "Hondo" Thomas Smith, 58, will be at 10 am Tuesday at First Assembly of God Church in Cleveland, Okla., with the Rev. Dean Switzer officiating. Burial will follow in the Osage Cemetery under the direction of Chapman-Black Funeral Home, Inc.

Mr. Smith died Friday, July 4, 2008, at a Tulsa hospital.

Hondo as his friends and military comrades referred to hims was born Nov. 1, 1949, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Alfred and Mayme (Ahner) Smith. He grew up in Osage, and graduated from Prue in 1965. Soon after the completion of his education Hondo entered into the service of his country serving with the 5th Special Forces MACV-SOG division during the Vietnam War.

He served several tours of duty; according to official military documents Hodo was awarded with the highest medals such as seven Purple Hearts, Army Commendations with Bronze Oak leaf cluster, two Good Conduct medals, National Defense Service medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary medal, Vietnam Service medal with two Bronze Stars and one Silver Service Star, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Ribbon with device, and the Korea Defense Service medal and was also a former prisoner of war.

After his Vietnam service, he returned to Osage. He then accepted employment with his brother in the oilfields for Ramtech Energy Corporation as a field supervisor. He worked in the home construction business in the early-1980s. In 1985, he enrolled at Oklahoma Farrier College in Skiatook, and worked as a farrier for several years before accepting employment at Lookout Mountain Ranch in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He retired in 1997, and lived in Sapulpa. In 2005, he moved to Osage where he has continued to reside.

He enjoyed hunting, fishing, cooking, trapping, garage sales, Pow-Wows, storytelling and sharing knowledge of the Native American Culture and languages. Hondo attributes his survival of the Vietnam War and that era due to the fact of his Native American Heritage and beliefs.

Survivors include his wife, Robbin Smith; three sons: Hughie Lee Smith and his wife, Carrie, of Glenpool; Ronnie Smith and his wife, Mandy of Claremore; Joseph Dewayne Smith and his wife, Kayce of Tulsa, Oklahoma; a stepson, Cody Clevenger of Broken Arrow; two sisters: Betty Goddard, of Osage; Sherry Owens, of Osage; eight grandchildren: Alesha and Daisha Smith, Sapulpa; Ashely, Justin, Trent, and Kerston Smith of Claremore; Michael Culbert, of Glenpool; and Wesley Moheng, of Tulsa; as well as a host of other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his father, Alfred Edward Smith, his mother, Mayme Lorena Stanley; four brothers: Ted Andrew Sanders, Charles Dean Sanders, John Sam Sanders, and Clyde Arnold Sanders.