County’s rescue squad formed 60 years ago by residents

Sixty years ago, the Smith County Rescue Squad was founded on a simple but powerful desire—to help families and people in need. Over the decades, faces have changed, equipment has evolved, and generations of volunteers have answered the call, but the mission has remained the same: serving others in their time of need.

The story began in the fall of 1966 following a drowning in the Cumberland River near Carthage. At the time, no one in Smith County possessed the equipment necessary to search for a drowning victim. Funeral homes from Lebanon and Donelson brought boats and grappling hooks to assist with the recovery.

As they stood along the banks of the Cumberland River on that autumn morning, a group of local men recognized that Smith County needed its own rescue organization. These men were members of the Smith County C.B. Radio Club, which had been organized in 1964 and met at the former Upper Cumberland meeting room on North Main Street in Carthage. Witnessing the need firsthand, they resolved to ensure their community would never again be without local rescue resources.

Twelve men stepped forward to form what would become the Smith County Rescue Squad. Those founding members were Harold Petty, Hollis Petty, Ed Stallings, Jacky Carver, Ben Herman Thomas, James Preston, Farmer Carter, Haskell Enoch, Draper Jenkins, Grant Castleberry, Fred “Catsox” Hesson, and William Gregory.

Today, Jacky Carver Sr. remains the only surviving member of this distinguished group whose vision and dedication laid the foundation for six decades of service. When asked about the rescue squad he helped establish in the 1960s compared to the organization that exists today, his response was simple: “There is no comparison to where it started and what it has evolved into.”

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