Jerald Smith

In school I was not ranked as the most popular person but that's not what I went to school for. I went for education and the education I got was something I could apply towards my mining and industrial arts major. I turned that whole thing in to a career in the Navy for a total of 23 years of service.

After the military, I spent 19 years with a company that was a nonprofit Cancer research foundation, the Birmingham Institute in San Diego, California. I left there and 2001 as a senior mechanic. My whole life has been dedicated to basically helping people fix, repair and maintain things.

 With the Navy I was fortune to see a lot of different cultures having visited 22 different countries. I spent a year at Midway Island, and two years in Hawaii. To name a few places I think are unusual to our culture would be Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, and Vietnam. On the other side of the world, places like South America Colombia, Panama, Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and Bermuda. Considering the cultures I’ve seen, the local food I have eaten and the diverse people I’ve encountered, I could be considered a world traveler by most people's standards. A free budget education courtesy of the United States Navy!

I am married to a delightful lady from South Korea and have two grown children. One is a fireman/ paramedic the other one is electrical engineer. I believe my family turned out pretty good. I'm retired but stay busy maintaining a house and still putting my mechanical abilities to work. At least I don't have to travel the commute every day and I go to the park every day to enjoy life.

I've had many sports favorites in the past, car racing for instance. Currently I like a nice walk in the park every day in the sunshine.

As far as favorite movies go I like any science-fiction movie.

In the U.S. Navy I was a cook for most of my career and did a pretty good job at it and the responsibilities that came with maintaining operations and getting three meals out a day.

My retirement started out rocky on a 100% disability. From there it was a learning process as I became very street smart learning how to use the system. Life is good, enjoy and smell the flowers...and smile.