Author

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Carlton R Smith “Carl”
The Ignorant Grandfather

Author Biography:

     Mr. Smith, 64 , was born in 1949 and married his second love Kay in 1970.  He met her in 1967. he is the father of three children. They are from oldest to youngest:  Ann, whom  when he first saw her at birth his feet left the ground and he fell in love for the third time.  His feet have remained in the air since then.  With his second child Lisa’s birth he ascended a little higher falling for the fourth love of his life.  And with the advent of  his one true son, he rose on his bliss still higher and was entranced by his fifth great love.

     He now has four grandchildren twins from Ann and a girl and boy from his daughter Lisa.    These are his “precious butterflies”  watched as they flutter in and out of his life, day by day.  He floats a little higher in his bliss at each of their appearances and their unfolding from their individual chrysalises’.  Growing in beauty and strength day by day.  Now he has nine cherished loves in his life.   The grandchildren range from about twenty to about fourteen.

     He was born between Tarboro and Rocky Mount, North Carolina. The first of his lineage to ever be born in a hospital.  He was the son of parents who had “done it all,” to keep the family fed, clothed, housed and together.  Shortly after his birth his father broke away from share-cropping and moved to Virginia in 1951.  His father became a worker in a shipyard for the U.S. Navy.  For all intents and purposes he grew up in a working class neighborhood which had a distinct eastern North Carolina character to it .  He attended several different elementary schools, transferring to a middle school and finally a local high school in Portsmouth, from which he graduated in 1968.

     Mr. Smith was accepted to Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia.  He attended for two years and transferred to Old Dominion University in Norfolk Va.  He married at this time to his wife and lost his draft deferment.  Forced to join the U.S. Army due to a low draft number of thirty two. While in basic training, at Fort Campbell, Kentucky he volunteered to become an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician (EOD).  At the completion of Basic Training he went on to intensive EOD training at Ft. McClellan AL.

     This was Phase I training in chemical and Incendiary weapons and their disposal.  From Phase I he went to Phase II EOD training at a naval Ordnance base at Indian Head, MD.  At the completion of Phases I and II training.  He was a qualified EOD Technician with an in depth knowledge of all Non-Nuclear U.S. and foreign ordnance.  This included all chemical and biological weapons,  projected, thrown, dropped, placed and other explosive ordnance, including missiles, and some knowledge of sea mines.  It also included in depth knowledge of incendiaries and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).

     Now trained in all aspects of the render safe and disposal of all non-nuclear ordnance he was posted to the 63rd Ordnance Detachment (EOD), Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri as an EOD Tech. During this initial assignment he was continuously trained in his craft and its practical applications as a member of the unit and functioned as the junior member (P-2) on active 2 man teams and in larger operational ad hoc  groupings, learning and practicing his craft.  After three years he left the army and re-enlisted 35 days later wanting to pursue a career in bomb disposal.  Posted to an EOD Control Detachment at Fort Dix, NJ for about a year; he went back to The Naval Ordnance training Station, Indian Head, MD  for nuclear weapons render safe and disposal training (phase III).  Upon completion he was posted to the 7th Ordnance Detachment (EOD), 8th Army, South Korea covering the southern half of the country.  During this posting he first became a leader for two man teams.  He remained an independent team leader in all future postings.

     When he finished his tour in Korea he was posted to Fort Lee, VA where he stayed for about four years.  During this time he was trained in Nuclear Emergency Team Operations (NETOPS) at Kirtland Air Force Base, NM. He also was among the first class chosen to be trained in Improvised nuclear weapons render safe and disposal (N-IED).  Much of the work at Fort Lee involved  recovering, rendering safe and disposing of active Civil War munitions. His area of operations included everything south of Fredericksburg, VA to the North Carolina line and west to include thirteen counties in eastern West Virginia.

     He was reposted to the 67th Ord. Det. (EOD) at Fort McNair, Washington D.C. next to the Washington Naval Base.  Fort McNair is most famous as the fort which held the Lincoln assassination conspirators and where they were hanged.  The building his unit occupied was the military prison where these conspirators were held during trial and prior to their execution on the parade ground within the fort.  He was now the Senior EOD Sergeant for the unit (First Sergeant).  It was at the time the smallest area of operations of any EOD unit.  It was called, “The President’s Bomb Squad.”  The unit’s area of operation included all areas within the Interstate 495 beltway, CIA Headquarters, Andrews Air Force Base, Washington National Airport, Walter Reed Hospital and animal test facility, The Pentagon, U.S. Capitol, White House,  Blair House, Old and New Executive Office Buildings, Smithsonian Institution and many other critical facilities and structures.   He was also the unit’s  Acting Commander for a few months.

     Mr. Smith was reposted to Ft. Indiantown Gap, PA for his last EOD posting as its unit First Sergeant. When Mr. Smith was selected for promotion to Master Sergeant he terminated his volunteer status here in 1984.  He was reclassified to Senior Nuclear Biological and Chemical Noncommissioned Officer (S-NBC-NCO) in the Army Chemical Corp and received his final promotion to Master Sergeant (MSG).  He subsequently served as a Platoon Sergeant and then First Sergeant of The 101st Chemical Company (Decontamination). From there Mr. Smith was assigned to be the Chemical Operations Sergeant for 1st Corps Support Command (1st COSCOM), Fort Bragg, NC.  He was also the 1st COSCOM Reserve  Components noncommissioned officer in charge (NCOIC), and was involved in 18th Airborne Corps G2/G3 war planning  at Ft. Bragg, NC.

     From Ft. Bragg he was posted to the 25th Infantry Division (Light)—(25th Inf. Div. (L)) as the Division, NBC NCOIC.  In this capacity he participated in various war games with Japan, China and other allies.  Finding himself the sole NBC representative for the Division Chemical Section on several occasions.  He also compiled, authored and edited/published a quarterly divisional NBC newsletter for four years.  He inspected and trained divisional units and was manager for a defensive chemical equipment property warehouse containing thousands of different items valued at millions of dollars.

     His last posting was as a full time active army support to the Guard and army reserves in Chicago, IL.  He worked there as NBC NCOIC for a U.S. Army Chemical decontamination/smoke Battalion U.S. Army Reserves (USAR) in the capacity of operations, training, and Intelligence for the battalion.  Mr. Smith retired from this last posting in Chicago, IL in 1991.

     Carlton completed his BS in Science from Regents College of The University of New York-Albany in 1992 with a combined total of over two hundred fifty credit hours.  Then attended Liberty University to earn a MA in Professional Counseling, having completed both a short and long internship in all facets of counseling  specializing in Substance Disorders and dual diagnosis cases.

     He has, since graduation in 1997, worked in a County mental health center, managed an inpatient treatment facility, and counseled at a youth prison.  He left this job to babysit for his nine month old grandson for six years.   “The best job ever.”  He further continues to counsel and advise in his community on a pro-bono basis.

     Medically he has several chronic diseases, which are all treatable and in remission, and has been recovered from addiction to alcohol, for 27 years and tobacco, caffeine, and starch cravings for twenty years.

     This biography continues to be written each day as he lives . . . by G-d’s hand.

     P.S. “Oh”, he says he nearly forgot His first great love was for the G-d of his understanding.

21 thoughts on “Author”

  1. I thought this was a very interesting biography! You have an interesting life full of rich experiences! I once read a great quote; “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one.” – George R R Martin
    I would love to hear more about your experiences. I can only imagine the things you have seen and the stories you have! Maybe a short series of memoirs? God bless Mr. Smith
    Looking forward to a response,
    -Ashlee P.

    1. Thank you so much kind lady. Yes parts of my life have been exciting. Other parts, like all lives, are mundane. This is good for we all need a break from time to time in the whirlwind–to reflect, meditate and catch our breath, before the next fusillade of life. I could not agree more with your quote of Mr. Martin. Just for this reason I will be including books which have influenced my development. Please keep coming back and please read those books as well as mine. I’ll relish hearing from you in the future. My very best to you Ashley
      Carlton R. Smith, Author

  2. I have difficulty with this comment. So I think I’ll wait to comment until you read my book. Sincerely CRS Author

  3. So sorry, I’m a little confused by your post. I consider it complimentary and I thank you for it. Please post again about a specific essay in my book and I’ll gladly dialog with you about each. Sincerely and with pleasure in beginning a new friendship with you. Carlton R. Smith, Author.

  4. Most men have difficulty with expressing their feelings. For a variety of reasons, many men can’t seem to get things right in their own mind which enables them to release all that binds them into the traps of life. The author of this book has overcome these difficulties with apparent ease on the surface, but I am sure that it was difficult to write. He has opened his heart and soul to us and serves as a model for us to do the same.
    The pain and the heart ache that shows throughout many of these vignettes give us a glimpse of what goes on within the mind of a man. It took a lot of courage to write this and I applaud the author for doing an excellent job. Between the more serious portions of the book are a good bit of life stories just about people he knew that had influenced his life and had a lesson for him to learn. He describes the people and scenes in a way that makes you feel you are there with him. He then uses the memory to provide teaching moments for his children and grandchildren. The lesson of this book is to learn from your own experiences, and pass it on to others. A good read, but be prepared to explore the intensity of the author’s mind, as well as your own.

    1. Mr. Wright, Thank you sincerely for your review. You have captured the essence of my attempt admirably. It is obvious to me that you are a kindred spirit to me with a book in you. Write it now. or you never will. Procrastination had been my hobgoblin until my son said–” Dad you ought to write a book.” So I did. I asked him what I should write about and he said ” write about what you know about.” Now that is off-handed praise from one’s progeny. I look forward to cherishing your book in the future Sincerely and gratefully yours, Carlton R. Smith, Author

      1. Carl,
        I remember you very well. I served in the 63rd from 71 to 73 and briefly in the 8th EOD before I was bounced out of the field. I left the army in 79, was briefly in the Navy from 82-83. I have 18 years clean and sober writing this. I was a confirmed alcoholic when we served together 72-73…you not so much your wife used to get really angry when I brought you back home all messed up. You were the sane reasonable one…my EOD name was “Tommy Dildo”. Very surprised you became an alcoholic: you had great plans and were determined to become a millionaire by 30 or something. Very surprised you came back to the Army and made a career. Not that you wrote a book, but that you did not pursue an earlier dream. My life for many years was one debacle after another VA psych wards, prison, etc. I always wondered what happened to you. Now I know at least that much. Congrats on your sobriety. Mine took 14 years in and out to take.

        1. Tommy, How many times the world has turned since last I saw you. I was saddened to hear about your troubles with passage through life since last time we tipped a beer. I’m sure glad those heady days of youth have passed. Tell me more about your life journey. I’ll write to you direct from another web site soon. I can’t put it here, if I do I’ll have to reset everything. Have you read the book? Tell me your thoughts on each essay, if you would be so kind. I’ve a new book about 1/3rd complete and I’m “into” its writing as we say.

  5. Dear Carl,

    We were together in the 63rd Ord Det (EOD) at Fort Leonard Wood, MO. I was searching for information on the 7th Ord Det (EOD) in Korea. Drop me a line. I would like to hear from you.

    Sincerely,
    Mike
    Mike R. Vining, SGM USA (Retired)

    1. Mike, so good to hear from you. I jotted down your email address and will contact you a little later. I hope you will buy my book and send comments to me about each of the 35 essays in it as you read them. Hope you’ll like them. Sincerely Yours Carl Smith, Author

  6. Carl,
    I remember you very well from our service in the 63rd in 72. I downloaded and read your book. You and I dumped a canoe in a flood stage river Nov. 72 and came as close as I care to drowning. In one of your pieces you refer to being “paralyzed” by cold water. Yup, well I remember. It is difficult to relate your later alcoholism to the young man I knew in 72. I was already set on that path and drug addiction at 21. The EOD field was rife with drunks in those years. I admired you then and learned a lot from you even at that age. As I write this, I have 18 years clean and sober. A miracle for someone as…well…mentally ill as I was. I would very much like to hear from you again. For those of you reading Carl’s work, I can only say that as a young man he was extremely bright, educated, and I could not imagine someone of his caliber finding a career in the Army of that period. Some of his childhood he related to me. Our spiritual paths may have diverged, but we have the spiritual path of AA in common. I often wondered what happened to you. I remember at that time your goal was to become wealthy. From reading your work, I found that you became wealthier than either of us could ever have imagined as confused young men. I would like to discuss some of your well reasoned points, but not in this venue.

    Tommy Tripwire

    1. Tommy, I’ll write you soon and we can exchange phone numbers and addresses. May you walk with Christ in the steps all your days and be in heaven before the devil knows you’ve passed. With fondness and respect still your friend Carl Smith, Author

    1. Yes, curiously so! Although yours is a very brief correspondence it is still appreciated and I apologize for my delay in responding. I will respond should you send another query. I only go through my mail about once or twice a week

      Sincerely yours Carl, Author

    1. I do have some copies in-house though my publisher went out of business. I haven’t yet got another publisher. Contact me at
      CPCDST51aayahoo.com. Then I’ll email you back. These copies are 8-1/2 by 11, not the original by Robbie R which was about two by three inches. Email me and I’ll provide telephone number to discuss the sale.

      Carlton R. Smith Author,

    2. Mike I’m trying to get The God Angle back in Print as my publisher and full filler for the book went bankrupt. I’m working with Ingram Spark as I write this to you. I’ll get it back on Amazon when Ingram starts printing and fulfilling the book.

    1. Thank you Lisa. I’ve sent a response by email to you with instructions for ordering The Ignorant Grandfather. Sorry for the delay in response. I appologize, I’ve been really busy. Carl S. Author

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