Page 62 - Senior Link Magazine Fall 2021- Online Magazine

James "Jim" Smith ... and His Compatriots with
t was the morning after a fire
fight in Vietnam that Jim’s
Ilife dramatically changed.
Until that point, his desire had
been to make the military his
lifetime career.
His 13 years of military
service started in 1954 at the
age of 17 when, as a patriot,
he joined the Army; he loved
it. After his basic training
in Fort Chaffee, Arkansas, he
was equipped to be part of the
military police and security.
His first assignment was to
Tokyo, Japan and then on
to camp Leroy Johnson in New
Orleans, where he joined the
CID (Criminal Investigation
Division). From there he was
sent to Berlin, Germany and was
62 Lubbock Senior Link
Paws
by LaVila Henry
part of the “Check time to time to make sure they
Point Charlie” were always ready should an
team securing the enemy attack.
autobahn. Next, in
the Chicago area, he It was in Alaska that Jim
was assigned to met his first wife, Sherri. She
guard a missile was studying agriculture
sight. That at Alaska State University.
assignment included They met at his part-time
guard dogs to help job as a security officer for a
secure the area. local store. Sherri was from
Though most dog Lubbock; Jim had never heard
trainers went to of Lubbock before they met. His
school at Lackland first visit was to meet Sherri’s
AFB, Jim’s dog- family.
handling skills came The last assignment before being
about when a stationed in Vietnam was in Fort
fellow soldier’s Richie, Maryland, where his
discharge left Jim job was to guard the air
taking care of the shafts that circulated fresh
sentry dogs. His air into a huge underground
expertise came building called the “underground
from on-the-job pentagon”. Sherri joined him
training with help there, and they were married.
from those around
him. Eventually, he In 1966, he volunteered to go to
acquired the Vietnam. After taking Sherri to
military dog training manuals
to aid him in his newly stay with her family in Lubbock
obtained responsibilities. His while he was deployed, he was
beloved, smart, and well- on his way. Once again, he found
trained German Shepherd named himself in charge of the sentry
Tina accompanied him from dogs. Units like his were
stationed all over Vietnam
assignment to assignment. to guard against the nightly
From Chicago, Jim was sent
to Portage, Alaska (a town
that was later destroyed in
the 1964 earthquake), across
the bay from Anchorage. His
security responsibilities included
four dog sentry teams. By
night, he was involved
in securing atomic warheads, and
by day, he oversaw the safety
of all the classified documents
on the base. There were
surprise practice alerts from