Oral History Interview with Jim Smith
Title
Oral History Interview with Jim Smith
Narrator (written)
Jim Smith
Narrator First Name
Jim
Narrator Last Name
Smith
Interviewer
Matthew Libre
Abstract
Jim Smith was born on April 5th, 1946 in Norfolk, VA. Smith’s father graduated from the Naval Academy in 1940 and later worked in the rocket division at Chrysler. Growing up, Smith traveled around the country due to his parents’ work. Attending Dartmouth as a member of the class of 1968, Smith went to the “Confront the War Makers” march on Washington in November 1967. After graduation, Smith joined the Peace Corps briefly before being injured in Hawaii in a car crash and being medically discharged in August of 1968. On February 14th, 1969 Smith enlisted in the Army and went through basic training, infantry OCS, Airborne School, and Ranger School in Fort Benning, GA. Arriving in Vietnam in October 1970 and remaining there until October of 1971, Smith was an infantry rifle platoon leader in the First Cavalry Division operating in Binh Long, Phuoc Long, and Tay Ninh provinces along the Cambodian border northwest of Saigon. While there, Smith worked on interdiction of enemy forces along the Ho Chi Minh trail. After returning home, Smith became a lawyer and resides today in North Carolina.
Date of Interview
January 28, 2020
Subject
Dartmouth Alumni
Military Service (Army)
Political Participation
Protest/Antiwar Activism
Vietnam Veteran
Volunteer/Aid Work
Language
English
Rauner ID
DOH-632
Rights
Interview Audio Source (MP3)
//rcweb.dartmouth.edu/DDHI/histories/smith_jim/smith_jim.mp3
Interview Transcript Source (PDF)
//rcweb.dartmouth.edu/DDHI/histories/smith_jim/smith_jim_transcript_final.pdf
HTML
//rcweb.dartmouth.edu/DDHI/histories/smith_jim/smith_jim_transcript_final.html