[1] Smith became the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard on August 1, 1973, succeeding Charles Calhoun.

[2] He enlisted in the Coast Guard on September 20, 1949, and after recruit training served aboard USCGC Rhododendron, homeported at Seattle, Washington.

Following a tour of sea duty aboard USCGC Bering Strait homeported at Honolulu, Hawaii from September 1952 to May 1954, he returned again to Seattle to serve as yeoman in the personnel division of the Thirteenth District office.

[2] Later tours of duty included the Marine Inspection Office, Guam, Coast Guard Air Station Port Angeles Washington, the personnel division at the Seventeenth Coast Guard District office, Juneau, Alaska, Coast Guard Air Station San Diego, California, and the personnel division of the Eleventh Coast Guard District office at Long Beach, California.

[3] This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Government