Born at Bend, South Dakota in 1921, Rex Alan Smith, has roots deep in the pioneer history of western South Dakota, but with memories that encompass much of the world.

      Rex grew up in Bend; the little community that sprang up in Meade County, some 20 miles northeast of present day Rapid City, along the Ft Pierre-Deadwood trail. Now long gone, Bend had; a grammar school, a post office (established in 1886) and a social club (established in 1915).

Rex Alan Smith about age 6 on his first horse, Glasseye

      Being a fourth generation Meade County, South Dakota native, Rex's deep interest in history started in his family's pioneer roots. One of his grandfathers drove freight wagons on the Deadwood Trail and a grand-uncle was Fort Meade’s original postmaster when it was founded shortly after the battle of Little Big Horn.

      Rex Alan Smith grew up playing and working beside white and American Indian children alike — a multicultural life before "multicultural" was a term in vogue. He has a daughter; Mary Chantry and lives with his wife, Wanda, on the Meade County family ranch, leading an active ranch life. However, he has not lived all of his life in South Dakota.

      During World War II he served thirty-six months with the Army Engineers in the South Pacific, where he eventually became third mate of the USS Dan Kingman, an Army dredge ship.

      Mr Smith spent some thirty-five years in the insurance business in Fayetteville, Arkansas. From 1965-1968 he served as a faculty member of the American College of Life Underwriters teaching Business Law, Investments, Economics, and Actuarial Science. From 1969 - 1973 he produced and moderated a weekly 90 minute talk show, "Point Blank", on KGTO-Television in Fayetteville. And gave some thirty hours annually of lecturing to University of Arkansas Army and Air Force ROTC cadets (1950-1978).

Rex Alan Smith on USS Kingman, Enroute Leyte to Manilla March, 1945

      His writing career began almost accidentally when an article he wrote for a life insurance magazine caught the attention of Reader's Digest editors. As they became more aware of Mr Smith's rural South Dakota background and writing talent, they requested that he write of South Dakota Native American history. The result was the book Moon of Popping Trees published by Reader's Digest Press and later by Reader's Digest Condensed Best Sellers, Quality Paperback Book Club, and currently by University of Nebraska Press. A history of "the Wounded Knee massacre", it was the first in his still growing list of historically based books.

      Rex was described by Editor Henry Hurt of Reader's Digest as "one of the finest writers ever to come my way," and by Newsweek magazine as, "A salty storyteller."

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Books by Rex Alan Smith are:

• MOON OF POPPING TREES, Reader's Digest Press and University of Nebraska Press.

• ONE LAST LOOK, Abbeville Press, New York. A reminiscent look at the US Eighth Air Force in England in World War II.
  Foreword by Andy Rooney, layout and illustrations by co-author Philip Kaplan.

• THE CARVING OF MOUNT RUSHMORE, Abbeville Press, New York. And:

• PACIFIC LEGACY Abbeville Press, New York, with co-author Gerald A. Meehl

• PACIFIC WAR STORIES: In the Words of Those Who Survived
  With co-author Gerald A. Meehl:
  scheduled release - October, 2004 - Abbeville Press.

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Rex Alan Smith speaks, writes, ranches and inspires all who know him!

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