Meet Bro. Larry Smith - Hero!

Most of the posts have been about City Reach lately because that is what our life has consisted of the last few months AND will consist of for the next few months. That is what this blog is about. 

We post about the grace of God, great churches, Pastors, people, revivals, music, family, food, fellowship, fun, our travels and who knows what else.

Most of that "what else" has been City Reach recently. We did have a great experience last Thursday evening and I want to tell you about it today.

Meet Bro. Larry Smith a door gunner in a Rattler for 27 months in Vietnam.

We arrived in Ft. Worth on Thursday morning after a long, long drive from Atwater, California. After a busy day preparing and planning for the tent set up, we had very special plans for Thursday evening. Our dear friend from Ellisville, Mississippi was at a reunion near DFW airport and we were anxious to see him.

Bro. Larry Smith goes to First Assembly in Ellisville. We have been preaching there for Pastor Kenny Morris and his great folks for many years. We always look forward to being with our dear friends in Ellisville and it seems that God always blesses the revivals there. It is one of our favorite stops of the year.

We love Bro. Kenny and Sis. Joan. We love Bro. Andy and Sis. Tina. We love the great place to park. We love the food. We love the special revival services. AND we love all the tremendous people that go to church there.

One of those tremendous people is Bro. Larry Smith! When we were there in January I told about our City Reach campaigns and mentioned City Reach Ft. Worth would be in May. Bro. Larry told me after service that the reunion of his 71st Assault Helicopter unit was scheduled for Ft. Worth in May. 

Bro. Larry not only attends these reunions held every two years but he was instrumental in getting them started over 25 years ago. I copied this excerpt from their website.

Origins of the Rattler/Firebird Association

In the fall of 1990, Larry Smith, an old gunner of mine from '66-'67, called me and asked if I was aware that the 145th Aviation Battalion had an association. I told him "No". He then told me they were having a reunion at Ft. Rucker in June of '91. Larry and I agreed to meet there.

We talked Dennis Hand and Donnie Profitt into attending also. At this reunion, we rediscovered feelings long suppressed from Vietnam. We had no interest in battalion level people, because we did not know them. The four of us stayed in one hotel room and let the memories fly. From that four person meeting, the spark was lit to get the guys back together as best we could....Ron Seabolt National Director Rattler/Firebird Association

Bro. Larry and I both were excited to learn the dates of this year's reunion would coincide with the week we were arriving in Ft. Worth for City Reach and it was being held at a DFW hotel. We made plans right then to try our best to visit him and see some of the displays.

Bro. Larry spent 27 months as a door gunner in a combat helicopter. 27 months in Vietnam without ever going home! Bro. Larry is a hero is the first order and I was proud to stand next to him in front of an actual "Rattler" like the ones he flew on.

I copied this description from their website.

The radio call signs “Rattler” and “Firebird” were used by our aircraft during our service in Vietnam. “Rattler” was used by our UH-1D & H helicopters (known as "slicks") that carried troops, supplies, ammunition, performed command and control, combat assault, medical evacuation and insertion/extraction missions, as well as many others.

This is where the door gunner sat and stood barely strapped in, keeping both hands free to operate the gun that protected the helicopter and troops being dropped or those being picked up.

Bro. Larry earned over 50 air medals, a purple heart and the Distinguished Flying Cross. That is the Distinguished Flying Cross on his hat below.

The pilot and copilot were surrounded by thin metal and glass making them very vulnerable to enemy fire. Bro. Larry said that one time the instrument panel between them was completely blown away but the pilot managed to land safely and the men were kept alive!

Can you read the tag below by Ron Seabolt's belt?

It says, "Belt Used In 'Nam By Ron Seabolt - Size 32. Now Fits His thigh."

I resemble that remark!

I was blessed to meet Ron Seabolt and his wife and honored to pray with them. She is battling cancer and really needs God's help.

The display area inside was huge. This is just one small section. Reading some of the information was almost overwhelming emotionally. I am so prone to feel fearful, wronged, vulnerable and impatient or perceive unfairness in life, but these young men faced more in a year or two than I ever will. May God bless and help every one of them!

Kelly Jo wearing a vest that is supposed to help protect from bullets and shrapnel. It is so heavy she is about to fall down. Bro. Larry said it was so cumbersome and the door gunner had to move back and forth in the helicopter a lot. He said that he seldom wore it. It is a miracle that He is still alive!

I have liked Bro. Larry from our first visit to Ellisville, Mississippi years ago. I always knew there was something special about him. Now I know a small part of what makes him special. He will be the very first to tell you that the very best thing that ever happened to him was the day he was saved. I know that is true.

But there is something special about a young man that will give 27 months of his life to keep others free. Bro. Larry Smith is a true hero. 

I will stand a little straighter, tip my hat a little lower, set my gaze a little higher and hug his neck a little tighter when I see him next time.

Thanks for reading.

Davy

Tent Going Up - Ft. Worth City Reach

City Reach Report

Tuesday night was another great night of City Reach tent revival in the Ft. Worth area. The crowd was very good and the response to the preaching was tremendous. Each night we have folks coming from the community and it is thrilling to see God bless, save and deliver. The smiles on their faces puts all the hard work into perspective.

We also had a third service without any rain! Praise God.

I am typing this Tuesday night before I go to bed. I am actually going to bed tonight because two young men are watching the tent over night and giving me and Bro. Jimmie a break. That is awesome!

Tent Set Up

The tent set up went tremendously well for City Reach Ft. Worth on Saturday. A whole lot goes into this day and most of the time is starts weeks before. I am afraid that most of the load of getting permission to use the land and obtaining permitting to use the land fell on the capable shoulders of Pastor JJ Stevens. I hate he had to carry all the extra stress but he carried it well. Thank you, dear friend!

It is very nice to see it all come together and the tent finally go up on the site! I always breath a sigh of relief when the tent is in the air and everything is ready to go.

This site is nearly 2 acres and there is only one spot big enough for the tent that does not stand in water and is not too close to the main road. I intended to set up the full tent and set it back on the lot at an angle but we ended up setting the 70' configuration with the center poles on a ridge for good drainage.

Pastor JJ Stevens mowed most of the day on Friday.

Bro. Justin Smith put in several hours with the weed eater and backpack blower.

God bless these brothers for their hard work. It was definitely the season to be sneezing with all the grass flying around!

Kelly Jo, Bro. Jimmie and I figured how to set the tent and marked the stake line on Friday in addition to all the other things that must be completed the day before set up.

Unfortunately all the rain did not drown the fire ants and we have made a bunch of then very angry over the last few days. We used over 20 pounds of granules in two days for a space of about 100' x 100' at the most. We are well into our second 20 lb bag of granules. These are determined little devils but we will keep fighting.

Saturday morning started early with Bro. Jimmie pulling out of Victory Tabernacle and onto the tent site.

We had a great crew of men and women show up and the work commenced shortly after 8:00 AM. We have four cooperating churches involved with this meeting and all four Pastors were there to help with the set up. That is very encouraging for me and I told them so. I believe their participation bodes well for the whole meeting.

Bro. Nathan Wallace drove down from the House of Prayer in Gainesville, Texas to help put the tent up. He told me when we were there in February that he was coming to help and he kept his word. He was a super help. Thanks Bro. Nathan.

Jeffery and Rebecca Blankenship arranged to be in the area Saturday so they could help with the tent set up too. It was a blessing to us to have them.

Here is the great set up crew!

Those of you that follow along closely will probably notice the configuration inside the tent is different this week as well. Because there was really only one way to set up the tent, we had to do things a little differently.

When we have the 70' or 92' tent set up, we always have the pulpit area along one of the long sides. No one is more that 45' from the Bible Stand or altar in that configuration. That would not work at all here. So this week the pulpit is in the end and the church is set up long ways. It is different than usual but it is working just fine.

That brings you up to date on the tent set up. Thanks for reading and thank you for praying for City Reach.

Davy