Oral history interview with Willie Earl Smith Jr., 2021
Abstract
Earl Smith discusses his service in the U.S. Army, his career in the hospitality industry, and his encounters with Barack Obama, including the moment in 2008 when he gave Obama the patch of the 173rd Airborne Brigade that he had carried since his tour in Vietnam, and which Obama carried on the 2008 campaign trail. Smith describes the meaning of the patch, and shares the story of his invitation to O bama's second inaugural, at which Smith sat in the first lady's box, met with the secretary of veterans affairs, and spent time with President Obama in the Oval Office. Smith also reflects on his experiences returning from Vietnam as a veteran in the late 1960s, the racial disparities in the U.S. forces in Vietnam, and the influence that the writings and teachings of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X have had on his life
Presidents--United States; Hospitality industry--Management; Vietnam War, 1961-1975; Veterans; Smith, Earl; Obama, Barack; United States. Army
Format
oral histories
Genre
Interviews
Date
2021
Physical Description
39 pages
Note (Biographical)
Earl Smith is a veteran who, at the time of this interview, was director of security at the Hyatt Regency in Austin, Texas. He was drafted during the Vietnam War and eventually sent to fight in the 173rd Airborne Brigade. Returning from the war, Mr. S mith worked as a floor house man with the Marriott Hotel Company, which led to positions in management in that hotel chain. Eventually he became director of services, supervising a range of operations from the laundry to the health club and working in Marriott Hotels in the Middle East. In 1998, he took a position with the Hyatt hotel chain, which is where he met then-presidential candidate Barack Obama in the Hyatt Regency Austin in 2008, at which time he gave him his 173rd Sky soldier patch which had special significance for him. The gift of the patch lead to additional interactions with Obama during his administration
Note
Interviewed by William McAllister on September 28, 2021. This interview is part of the Columbia University: Obama Presidency Oral History
Note (Provenance)
Willie Earl Smith Jr., Gift, transferred from Columbia Center for Oral History Research 2022