Arthur W. Smith:  

After graduation it occurred to me that I was college prep and headed for L.A. State in the fall. Had no idea what I was doing in college and quit, gave up and wandered into civil service with the LAUSD as a custodian. About to be drafted I took the opportunity to enlist into the Naval Reserve in Long Beach. Trained as a sailor, even learned to make coleslaw for 500 at 3am in the morning, awaiting a ship for assignment. My assignment came and with that my efforts to avoid going to Viet-Nam were over. I soon realized that God's will at work and I surrendered hands up. I was assigned to the Construction Battalions and sent to Port Hueneme to join MCB_5. This place was so crowded the Navy paid me to drive home and sleep in my own bed for the first four months.Then it was on to Oceanside Camp Pendleton for combat/survival training. My first trip took me to DaNang, RVN. My second trip late in 1967 took me to the Dong Ha, just south of the DMZ and just in time for the Tet Offensive. Got back in May of "68. Attended L. A. Trade Tech. College Another civil service job spending 31 years at and near L.A. City Hall doing maintenance and construction work on all the city buildings and more. Retired in...Expand for more