Rudy's Boots of Honor

01/04/2026

We love getting to meet the recipients of Rudy's Boots of Honor and to hear their story. Auston Smith would be very proud of the strong courageous work they perform every day.

31/12/2025

31/12/2025

For those who are new to Rudy or his tattoos, we'd like to share the background and meaning behind his coin's design. The phrase 'LIFT AS YOU CLIMB' is deeply significant to Auston and his older brother Spencer, symbolizing a core principle that their cousin Rusty, a Retired Chief Warrant Officer 4 with 26 years of service in the US Coast Guard, instilled in them.

Rusty's legacy of lifting others up through guidance and mentorship left an indelible mark on Auston and Spencer watching as he made rank through the years and lived by what he taught them

07/12/2025

We want to say a huge thank you to everyone for the incredible support for Rudy’s Boots of Honor.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve shipped out many of our coins. A few were returned to sender, but we’ve reached out and re-shipped those.

If you still haven’t received your coin, please send us a message so we can make sure you get yours as soon as possible.

Email us at : [email protected]

Thank you again for all the love, support, and for helping us honor Rudy.

22/10/2025

The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, in partnership with the family of fallen
Deputy Auston “Rudy” Smith Reudelhuber, has launched a new award in his memory to recognize outstanding service, bravery, and need within the Forsyth County law enforcement community.

The inaugural “Rudy’s Boots of Honor” award was presented last week, at the Forsyth County Public Safety Center.

Deputy Reudelhuber died at the age of 32 in the line of duty on September 9, 2023, when a truck crossed the center line and collided with his patrol car on N.C. Highway 150 in Davidson County.

Deputy Reudelhuber, known affectionately by family and friends as “Rudy,” had a deep passion for boots since childhood — from cowboy boots to work boots, and especially the military and law enforcement-issued pairs he wore with pride. He treasured and cared for each pair, often sleeping in his newest boots as a child. Inspired by his grandfather’s advice, “A soldier must always take care of their feet.” Auston carried that lesson with him throughout his military and law enforcement career. “Rudy’s Boots of Honor” was created to carry on that legacy.

The foundation will provide high-quality boots to deputies in the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office who demonstrate exceptional dedication, face hardship, or quietly go above and beyond their duties. This initiative was inspired in part by a story shared after Reudelhuber’s passing. While Rudy was attending Basic Law Enforcement Training, he and another cadet noticed a classmate who could not afford boots. Without hesitation Ruby and another cadet bought him a new pair.

That quiet act of kindness had a lasting impact and now represents the spirit of this award. The inaugural recipients are Deputy R. Burns and Deputy R. Tomlinson. Deputy Burns will be recognized for recovering from an on-duty vehicle crash, while Deputy Tomlinson will be honored for administering CPR and using an AED to save a life.

For those who would like to donate, please visit https://www.foundation-34.org/ and click on the donate tab. In the notes write “Rudy’s Boots”.

09/05/2025

09/05/2025