William Smith Sr

William Ray was born on the 16th of November, 1928 in Wyandotte, MI. Bill attended school in Romulus, MI in a one room classroom in a wooden building. He was educated at the Roosevelt High School in Wyandotte, MI and graduated from high school in Fox Lake, Il.
After Graduating he enlisted in the U.S. Army in Detroit, MI. His basic training in 1945 consisted of 16 weeks infantry. A six week course in combat medicine followed. Shortly thereafter he was shipped out by military transport to Gen. Patton's 3rd army in Germany. In the latter part of his three year hitch in Germany and France, he played baseball for the 3rd Army team.
William returned to the U.S.A. In September, 1948. A few months later he had a try-out with the Cleveland Indians. With no great success as a major-leaguer, he played semi-professional ball in Michigan.
In 1950, as the Korean War heated up, he was recalled in the USAF as an air/sea rescue technician and sent to Korea, flying out of Kimpo Air Field in Seoul. His tour of duty ended in 1952.
That same year he was honorably discharged from the USAF and attained a scholarship in baseball at Michigan State University. He graduated with a Physical Education Associate Degree in 1954. In 1954 he met and married Marlyn Battle in Detroit, MI. This marriage eventually produced a large family, 4 girls and 2 boys: Karen, Kim, Tracey, Janis, Billy, and Michael.
In 1955 he joined the USN and flew rescue missions in MI, FL, LA, and TX. In 1960 he left the USN and enlisted in the USAF as a paramedic.
Bill and his family rotated his duties in MI, FL, TX, CO, and LA and 1962 he was assigned duties, accompanying family, in Turkey. For 18 months in Ciglia, Turkey during the “Cold War” missile complex of Jupiter “G” war-heads in Ciglia.
In 1963, Bill was assigned to the 6917th Security Squadron in San Uito Dei Normanni, Italy for a family reunion in off-base housing, enjoying travels in Spain, Greece and Germany.
Returning home to Michigan in 1966, Bill was ordered to Bergstrom AFB in Texas as a Senior Medical Technician. Again reassigned, Bill was at SAC at Grand Forks AFB in North Dakota until 1968, when he received orders to fly with the 14th ---Operations Wing out of NUA, Trang-----Vietnam. Bill also performed his duties as a NCO in “Med Cap”, the medical assistance program to aid some of the Vietnamese civilians in their needs for proper health and medical schooling in remote Vieatnamese Areas. After being involved in military ---- against the North Vietnamese, he was rotated back to the USA in October, 1969.
In 1970, April, Bill was medically discharged from the USAF at Keesler AFB, Mississippi. He was decorated and placed on Tue USAF Retirement Rolls. Very shortly thereafter, he began his very lengthy career as an independent medical duty person with large corporations world-wide. His medical assistance travels took him to Italy, Kuwait, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Greece, Hawaii, and the USA.
In 1993 Bill retired again and began his classes at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. As an undergraduate ---, he was involved in sports activities local and state-wide. In May of 2000, Bill graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in European and American History.
From 2000 until 2004 he tutored Varsity athletes an UNLV and participated in several senior Olympics. In 2004 he relocated to Durango, CO. From 2004 to 2006 he was the commander of the DAV in La Plata County, CO. In 2006 Bill was diagnosed with prostate cancer due to the effects of dioxins, “agent orange” acquired in southeast Asia. Bill enjoyed his years in Durango with friends and relatives. He was active in the VFW, DAV, American Legion, and assisted returning Iraq and Afganistan American combat men and women. He leaves behind six children, twelve grandchildren, and seven great grandchildren who reside in Alaska, New Mexico, Texas, and Alabama.