Richard Smiley served three years in the US Army at Ft. Hood, Ft. Sill and Vietnam in 1966-68. For his service in Vietnam he was awarded a Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Bronze Star, and Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Bronze Star. He is a 37-year member of the VFW having served as Quartermaster for 5 years at the VFW in Pahrump, NV. Graduating from the University of Southern California with a Ph.D., Richard worked as an educational psychologist in rural and urban Alaska for 28 years. He finished his career conducting program evaluations and applied research for the U.S. Dept of Education at a Regional Educational Laboratory in Portland Oregon. Richard lives in Anacortes and is the father of four adult children spread out from Juneau, Alaska to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.