James Smith:  

A hearty hello to all. Immediately following high school, Jul 1973, I entered the USAF, and had a 20+ year carreer to include retirement. My USAF occupation was a C-130 Flight Engineer, logging 5,000+ hours flying time, and traveling the globe. I participated, directly, in many world events - combat as well as non-combat related. The invasion of Grenada, Oct 1983, I was ship 19 of a 23 ship Ranger airdrop, on Point Salinas airfield, to kick off the actual invasion. In the summer of 1986, participated in Ronald Reagan's war on drugs, directly, staging out of La Paz Bolivia. 1989, was part of the invasion force to oust Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega, and again, airdropped part of a Ranger force, during this operation. A fellow named Saddam...somebody, invaded Kuwait, and was tasked to go over to Jeddah Saudi Arabia, Aug 1990, until Mar 1991, the following year, and our mission was to fly, in direct support of missions in and around the Kuwaiti Theater of Operations. I have many awards and decorations, of which I am proud, but are in a box, here around the house, somewhere. I am sure everyone would be surprised to find out, my wife and I own and operate a "Pecan Company, LLC". We buy, sell, crack and shell pecans, in season, which is a good business and is growing. We got involved in this as a fluke, so to speak. Before this, and after my USAF retirement, in 1993, I got an airline job, with Delta airlines, worked for them for less than 90 days, and found out, flying for civilians is totally not what I had in mind, when I accepted the position. My next move was to go back to college and gain a NC Teaching Certificate, and the college I attended had a truck driver training school. I attended, and earned my CDL. During this period of time, it became clear to me, teaching school was probably not be in my best interest, so I began driving a tractor trailer, hauling to begin with Bennigan's stores, up to and including Long Island NY. Of course, I was dreaming of owning my own trucking company, and signed a 3 year contract, hauling prepackaged medicine for Glaxo, running to Reno NV 3 times a month. This contract actually grew into Big Apple Transport, which grew to 3 trucks, and then, without notice, Glaxo canceled all owner operator contracts and I was stuck with 3 truck payments, and no work. I sold 2 of the 3 trucks, and leased my truck on, to a Company hauling petroleum product, ie: gasoline, diesel, LP, and in Dec 2000, pulled the plug, on owning my own truck, due to extremely high insurance rates and etc. In 2000, I got involved in the truck driver training school business, and trained 360+ students annually. This was a good oppurtunity for me, but, due to 9/11, funding loans for this sort of business became difficult, so we sold our part out, in 2004, and I went back to pulling a gasoline tanker, at night, full time, as a Company employee. The entire time, my wife and I have been developing our pecan business, which is "growing" (no pun intended). I am still pulling a gasoline trailer, waiting to go full time, in the pecan business. The pecan business is very interesting, and we are succeeding at our level of growth, but we haven't as yet gotten to the place where it will sustain us financially, in and of itself. Life thus far has been good, for us, and I wouldn't have changed a thing. We are members of an active church here in our community, and our church is our life, beyond our work. We realize, our real purpose, here on earth, in this life, is to serve God, and we do, to our utmost, to be pleasing to Him. Sure, money is good, but, most importantly, is what we are doing pleasing God ??? I am NOT a deacon, elder, or even a Sunday School teacher for that matter, but, we are there, any and everytime we are able. We just attend, and are available as our Pastor sees fit. We do in fact participate and support every facet of our church, financially as well as with our time and talents. We realize, our ministry, is NOT inside the walls of a church building, but as we go,day in and day out, being the Bible some folk would never see. My wife and I have hit a period in our lives, that we plan, well in advance some really nice vacation getaways, and then we go, and enjoy each other. Many times, we take the kids, along, as you can see in our photo album, we had them go with us, on 1 of our cruises. We also had my sister and nephew go, with us as well. So, we do in fact go, and I do mean go, my wife's middle name I think many times is "go", and, based on my life experience, many times I just want to "stay", but she doesn't allow that, at all. NOTE: As you can see, I have 2 listings under James Smith. Not to confuse anyone, with the details, but, in 1979, I changed my name, from Smith to Braxton, which was my "birth name". Due to "inner family turmoil" at my father's death, in 1978. It has since been resolved, between my brother and I, however, it was a necessity at the time I pursued this action to make a statement to my family. Hopefully it doesn't confuse anyone. FUNNY: During our senior year, we had 1/2 days, many times, and on 1 such day, John Begley class of 1973 and I got out of school, early. We "dined" on pizza at Ernie's Pizzeria, on Main St, and thereafter, I commenced to take him home, up 25A, to Ft Salonga. We left Ernie's, and as we were passing thru Kings Park, a police car, came fast on us, from the rear, and stayed there, and before we were to the top of 25A, leaving KP, he turned on his lights, to stop us, and we stopped, and then 5+ police cars "swarmed" us, in the car. We were taken...Expand for more