The Awesome Power of Thank Yous
By Perry Smith Fred Kyler did not look like the typical fighter pilot, he was short and dumpy—folks thought he looked like the goofy cartoon character, Mister Magoo. Yet, with great success, Brigadier General Kyler commanded the 36th Tactical Fighter Wing at Bitburg, Germany for four years. In the sixty-seven year history of the Air Force, no one else has ever commanded a fighter wing for that...
Read MoreThe Awesome Power Of Kindness
By Perry Smith Brett Swansiger, an Army veteran and a good friend of my son, McCoy, spends a great deal of time in airplanes as he carries out his duties as an executive for a pharmaceutical company. As a platinum frequent flyer, he gets upgraded to first class on most of his trips. When a soldier in uniform walks down the aisle towards the coach section, Brett grabs him and offers to trade...
Read MoreThe Joys Of Having A Home Town
By Perry Smith One of my favorite stories goes back to my experience as I entered the 4th grade in Richmond Virginia. My father was a professional soldier. From 1935 to 1944 my family had lived in New York, Panama, Virginia, Kansas, Hawaii, California, Minnesota, Ohio, and North Carolina. By the summer of 1944, it was time to move again—this time to Virginia. On that first day of school, at...
Read MoreThe Bright Future Of Georgia Military College
By Perry Smith One of my joys in recent years is highlighting leaders and organizations in our area which are doing outstanding work. Some examples of these are Jim Lorraine, Kim Elle and the entire staff of the Augusta Warrior Project and the wondrous work they are doing. Especially impressive is the success the AWP has had with finding good jobs for vets and getting permanent housing for...
Read MoreAnother Dyess Story Of Extraordinary Heroism
By Perry Smith With the death last week of 97-year-old Louie Zamperini there is renewed interest in one of the best books of the last decade, Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. A major portion of this bestseller is devoted to the terrible torture that Zamperini endured while he was a prisoner of the Japanese during World War II. Zamperini told his story after gaining his freedom in the summer of...
Read MoreAcclaimed Augusta Warrior Project poised to go nationwide
[This guest column ran in the Augusta Chronicle on May 11, 2014.] By Perry Smith In 1969, the book, Present at the Creation was published. It is the autobiography of a man who played key roles in Washington, DC in the immediate aftermath of World War II. He helped create the America that has accomplished so much to encourage democracy, free trade and the rule of law throughout the world. This...
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