Joe Smith

Joe Smith was born on April 17th , 1946 in Topeka, Kansas. Joe was raised in a military family, thus he traveled extensively with his family as a child, through the United States and even in Germany for a short time. After graduating from high school, he attended Virginia Military Institute where he graduated with a degree in civil engineering in 1968 and joined the Army. He was then sent to Fort Bragg to join the 82nd Airborne Division. He became a platoon leader and then later, he was an aide to General Walker. He asked to be transferred to Vietnam, where he was first deployed at Camp Eagle in Vietnam in December. He was at Ripcord on April 1st when the base came under fire. He was also in Vietnam for Lam Son 719. In the middle of 1971, he was sent back to Fort Belvoir, where he remained for 2 years. A captain at this point, Joe was an instructor for the student brigade at the engineering school. In 1973, Joe resigned from the military and attended the University of Virginia Law School, becoming a lawyer after 3 years. After practicing law for 2 years, he began working as a project manager for construction companies. Joe currently volunteers with veterans, remaining committed to the military even after retirement.