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The legacy of Commander Merle Smith
Merle J. Smith Jr., left, pictured with his father, U.S. Army Col. Merle J. Smith Sr., and then Coast Guard Commandant Willard J. Smith at the Coast Guard Academy commencement in 1966. (U.S. Coast Guard)
Published June 22. 2021 6:42PM | Updated June 22. 2021 7:43PM
By
Cadet Merle Smith was everything a future Coast Guard officer needed to be when he entered the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in 1962. A natural leader eager to lead, he was smart, athletic, determined and brave. He had to be. He would need all of those qualities not simply as an officer but as a groundbreaker; like many who ....

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