Click to play music.
Rockport Heroes Remembered!
Series Six Of The Soldier Series.
Time May be Immortal-Soldiers Are Not!

Stat by jrd. Idea from Hilma.
Music File Is An Old World War II Tune-Hey, Remember My Boy.

This Military Series Is Designed To Give Honor To Those From The Rockport Area That Served Our Country. I Have Not Left Out Anyone Intentionally, As I Can Only Include Those That I Have Information About. If You Know Or Aware Of Anyone That I Have Not Included, Please Feel Free To Send Me Some Material And I Will Add The New Information To The Series. Thanks.






Reathel Geary and Ray Smith Jr.

Ray Smith Jr.

The following two paragraph write-up on Ray Jr. was taken from "Our Heroes Forever" by Shirley Fulkerson Barnes and Delona Smiley Fulkerson. This pamphlet contains exclusive material that was written to honor the Military Heroes from the Pond Run Church Community. The actual production date of the pamphlet is unknown to me, but would guess it to be in the time frame of 2002. Thanks you two.

Ray Smith Jr. served with the Army during World War II. He was drafted around the time the fighting was over, but not officially signed. He served with the occupation troupes in Korea and was then sent back to the states. Ray attended Cook's School and received training as a cook.

Ray and his wife Shirley Ann Watson Smith reside on Hwy. 1245, Rockport, Ky. The Smiths have three daughters. Lana Ray and her husband Roy Stevens live on Hwy. 1245. Lana and Roy have three children. Rhonda Ann and Gerald Hoskins have two children. Rhonda lives on Hwy. 62, Beaver Dam, Ky. Karen Gail and her husband Dudley Igleheart live in Centertown, Ky. The Igleheart's have two children. Ray is retired from T. V. A. Paradise Steam Plant.

Thanks, Ray Jr. for your service to our country.

Reathel Geary.

Reathel Geary was the oldest son of Earl "Red" and Gracie Geary. The family lived in the Rockport Community for as long as I can remember. Reathel had a twin sister, Masell (Mac) and several other younger brothers and sisters. One of the brothers, Charles, was older than me and another, Kermit, was younger. There was also a younger sister, Lavon. Charles was a few years older, but we played and went to school together. I knew Reathel, but he was a grown man and out of school when I was growing up in Rockport.

As you can tell, I am searching for a paragraph or two to write about Reathel and having some difficulty. I was about seven years old when Reathel was drafted into the Army. As far as I know, he went to war, for our country, and served honorably and that is good enough for me. Reathel returned from the war and I would see him, on occasions in Rockport. Like others during his working years, Reathel probably went north to find work and may have retired from another area. In his later years, he did returned to the Rockport area, married Betty June Fulkerson, and they spent their remaining years in the Echols area.

2/28/09:

Thanks to P. J. Shores, Reathel's daughter, I am able to add a little more to Reathel's Soldier Page. Reathel Jr. found the Rockport/Echols Web Page and he told his sister, P. J. She was kind enough to send me the following information about her father.

Reathel Sr. was my father. He had a son named Reathel Earl Geary Jr. and a grandson named Reathel Earl Geary III. Reathel Earl Geary III was a jr. in college at North Carolina University and had a botany experiment go up in the space craft with John Glenn. You can Google Reathel's name and fine out more about this.

When Reathel Geary Sr. was at an USO show and dance in 1945 he met and soon after married Dorothy Ruth Mitchell of Morrow, GA. He left for the war and was away when his son was born. When he returned to Atlanta, GA, he and Dorothy bought a house in Chamblee, GA and had the first of 3 daughters (me- Peggy Jane Geary). I was born in Greenville, KY September 1948 (they moved to Chamblee after my birth)- Reathel was born in Atlanta, GA December 29, 1946. Robin Geary was born in Atlanta in August 1953 and Barbara Denise was born in Atlanta in July 1955. Reathel and Dorothy divorced around 1964 and moved back to the Kentucky/Illinois area. He married and divorced 3 other times before marring Betty. Reathel, my father, had his first heart attack at age 29 and several after that. Betty took good care of him in his last years. His son, Reathel, Jr. died of coronary disease at age 37 but was survived by two sons, Reathel III and Russell. Reathel III has married and has two children. He is currently living in Eugene Oregon with his wife Deb and their children (1 girl, 1 boy). Russell has two sons and lives in Atlanta, GA.

I married in 1966 and have two children, Michelle Shores and David Shores. Michelle, an UGA Graduate, has one son named Burl Johnson V who is now 25 years old and graduated from Univ. of GA in 2007. David has two sons and a daughter. I graduated from GA State University in 1997 with a degree in CIS.

Robin currently lives in RI and is married to Gerard Rodriguez. They have two sons, Joseph and Paul who have both earned masters degrees from RIU. Denise currently lives in Cumming, GA with her son, Cain. She also has a daughter, Kacie, who is married and has one son and two daughters.

I currently live in Woodstock, GA and work in Atlanta. My father died 20 years ago and is buried in Rockport. He had a difficult life with many heart attacks. But, he also had a wonderful family.

Thank you for your very kind words about my father!

Peggy Jane Geary

Thanks P. J., for your input.
Thanks Reathel, for serving our country.




Click on Graphic on left to reply.






James B (Buddy) Reid in the Army 1945-46.

For starters, I want to apologize for having to use the above picture. It is all that I can come up with, for the time being, and I will replace it, if and when another picture becomes available. For now, my choice is to run with what I have or to ignore Buddy Reid's time in the military service. I have opted to use the current picture that is not in the best of shape. Thanks to Harold Welborn for the following information.

Buddy (son of Bert and Lennie Reid) went into the Army shortly after he graduated from Rockport High. He completed his training in the US and was shipped out to he Pacific on a troop ship. The ship was heading to the far Pacific war zone when the surrender of Japan was signed in 1945, so Bud never was in combat. The ship proceeded on to Japan and the troops were made Military Police who were involved in the first occupation of Japan. The Emperor had ordered the Japanese people to cooperate with the occupying forces so it would go easy for all.

Bud was stationed in the Northern part of the country and had a fairly pleasant and historic time while doing his Army duty. Even so, he was mighty glad to set foot in Rockport when his service was over.

Thanks Buddy. We certainly appreciate your service to our country.




Future Rockport Area Soldier.







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