Ray L . Smith Ray L . Smith is a retired United States Marine Corps major general . Smith is a highly decorated Marine who has commanded infantry units at all levels . His awards received for service in combat during the Vietnam War include the Navy Cross , two Silver Star s , the Bronze Star , and three Purple Heart s . MajGen Smith retired from the Marine Corps in 1999 after almost 34 years of service . In 2003 , after nearly four years of retirement , Smith went to Iraq with the 1st Marine Division ; and penned an eyewitness account of the march from Kuwait to Baghdad — " The March Up : Taking Baghdad with the 1st Marine Division . " Marine Corps career . Smith is a native of Oklahoma . He enlisted in the Marine Corps in Montana in December 1965 . He graduated as the Platoon and Series Honorman at Marine Corps Recruit Depot , San Diego in 1966 . In March 1967 , he graduated from Officer Candidates School and from The Basic School in August 1967 . Vietnam War . During his first tour in Vietnam , Lt . Smith served as a Platoon ( 4 months ) and Company Commander ( 9 months ) in Alpha 1 / 1 , seeing combat action in Hue , Khe Sanh , the Rockpile , Con Thien , " Dodge City " and south of Da Nang . He was awarded the Silver Star for his actions during the Tet Offensive . His next assignment was in the 5th Marine Division at Camp Pendleton , California where he served in 3 / 28 as a Platoon Commander , Company Commander and as interim Aide for General Ross Dwyer . In November 1969 , Lt . Smith was assigned to a one year Vietnamese Language School in Arlington , Virginia . In late 1970 , he returned to Camp Pendleton for duty on an Interrogation Team for four months and was then assigned to 2 / 5 until he was sent to the John F . Kennedy School of Special Warfare at Ft . Bragg , North Carolina . Captain Smith returned to Vietnam in November 1971 for duty with the Marine Advisory Unit . He was with the Vietnamese Marines during the Easter Offensive and Counter Offensive of 1972 . Post - Vietnam . After this tour Captain Smith was assigned as a student at the Amphibious Warfare School in Quantico , Virginia and then , from 1973 to 1976 , as a Company XO , SPC and Tactics Instructor at The Basic School . In July 1976 , he was ordered to MEPCOM at Ft . Sheridan , Illinois , where he served two years as the Secretary to the General Staff . He was promoted to Major in August 1977 . Major Smith was selected to participate in the Bootstrap Program and reported to Oklahoma State in August 1978 . He earned a Bachelor ' s Degree in Asian Studies in January 1980 and was then transferred to the Armed Forces Staff College in Norfolk , Virginia . In July 1980 , Major Smith reported to Camp Lejeune , North Carolina and was assigned as the Executive Officer ( XO ) of 2nd Battalion , 8th Marines until July 1981 when he was assigned as the operation officer ( S - 3 ) of the 8th Marine Regiment . In 1983 , now LtCol . Smith , after assignments as the XO of the 8th Marine Regiment and as the Assistant Chief of Staff ( G - 3 ) OPS of the 2nd Marine Division , took command of the 2nd Battalion , 8th Marine Regiment . He commanded BLT 2 / 8 in Grenada and Beirut . LtCol . Smith next attended the Naval War College in Newport , Rhode Island where he earned a Master ' s Degree in Military Science . While there , he also earned a Master ' s Degree in International Relations from Salve Regina College . In July 1985 , he reported to Headquarters Marine Corps for assignments in Training and then in Operations . Returning to Camp Lejeune in May 1988 , Lt . Col . Smith took command of the 8th Marine Regiment . He was promoted to Colonel in November 1988 . In July 1990 , Colonel Smith was assigned to the Joint Staff at The Pentagon where he was Chief , Asia - Pacific Branch , J5 . He was selected for promotion to brigadier general in December 1991 . As a general officer , Smith ' s his assignments were : Deputy Commanding General ( CG ) , Marine Corps Bases , Japan ; CG , 3rd Marine Division ; Assistant Chief of Staff for Plans and Policy , CJ - 5 , Combined Forces Command , United States Forces Korea ; Deputy CG , II MEF ; CG , Marine Corps Base , Camp Lejeune , North Carolina . Major General Smith retired on September 1 , 1999 . On his last day of active duty , he gave the Convocation address at Campbell University and received an Honorary Doctorate of Laws . In retirement . Since retiring , MajGen . Smith opened a consulting business , E - tool Enterprises , and is a partner in Neuse Timber Land Company . Smith is the president of the board developing the Marine Corps Museum of the Carolinas , on the Board of BOLD , and the Board of Caring Communities . He has served on the Jacksonville USO Executive Council , and the Board of Jacksonville - Onslow Chamber of Commerce 2000 - 2001 He was also inducted into the Oklahoma Military Hall of Fame and received the Downeast NCOA Mack McKinney Award . He is a member of the North Carolina Advisory Commission on Military Affairs . Smith is the co - author , with Bing West , of " The March Up : Taking Baghdad with the 1st Marine Division " . The book is an eyewitness account of the 1st Marine Division ' s march from Kuwait to Baghdad at the beginning of the Iraq War . Smith currently serves as Chairman of Sandboxx , a company dedicated to providing communication and life style management tools for military members and their families Awards and decorations . General Smith ' s personal decorations include : Navy Cross . Captain Ray L . Smith was awarded the Navy Cross for his actions on April 1 , 1972 , when he was acting as an advisor to the Vietnamese Marine Corps . His citation reads :