Personal Narrative Manuscript/Mixed Material Photo, Print, Drawing Software, E-Resource Audio Recording William Dean Smock Collection
Veterans History Project Service Summary:
- War or Conflict: Iraq War, 2003-2011
- Branch of Service: Army
- Unit of Service: 1st Battalion, 163rd Field Artillery Regiment, 76th Infantry Brigade; Indiana Army National Guard
- Location of Service: Indiana; Iraq
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
- Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/77706
Lieutenant Colonel William Dean Smock was in his mid-fifties when he first deployed to Iraq with the Army in 2005. His journey there was unique: after his assignment to an engineer company kept him stateside during Vietnam, he spent several decades in the Indiana National Guard, only to resign his commission and become a warrant officer in order to deploy to the Middle East. An art teacher in his civilian life, he spent his off-duty time painting watercolors of the sights and scenes of his two deployments (in 2005 and 2008), over 100 of which are now part of his Veterans History Project collection. Working alfresco, he would chat with passerby while painting and earned a reputation on base as "the artist." Vivid and evocative, his paintings have been made into calendars, exhibited at the National Veterans Art Museum, and in one special case, given to President Bush.
William Dean Smock Collection
Interview / Recording
Share
-
PlayIn 1967, knew his draft lottery number would come up soon; personal connections led to a spot on an engineer company, where he spent four years driving a crane assembling floating bridges; securing a job teaching art at three local schools. 00:00:37.0 - 00:02:45.0
-
PlayBecame a schoolteacher in elementary art in Indiana; stayed in the National Guard; commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1976; spent the next 28 years in the field artillery; in 2004, decided to resign his commission as a lieutenant colonel to become a warrant officer so he could deploy to Iraq. 00:02:46.0 - 00:05:24.0
-
PlayBecame a warrant officer in 2004; deployed in 2005; served with the 139th Field Artillery; operating AN/TPQ-36 weapon locating radar; would paint off-duty; painted outside; giving a painting to President Bush. 00:05:25.0 - 00:08:42.0
-
PlayExpectations of combat versus the experience; boredom of waiting on radar. 00:22:40.0 - 00:28:15.0
-
PlayDifference between day job and Guard job; schedule while in the Guard; impact on family. 00:28:32.0 - 00:30:26.0
-
PlayIncident in which he painted two soldiers who later were killed; how he wound up giving a painting to President Bush. 00:33:22.0 - 00:39:42.0
-
PlayHow the fact that he did not make it to the rank of colonel in 2003 was the best thing that ever happened to him; gratitude for being able to deploy twice to Iraq; counts his deployments as two of the best years of his life. 00:48:30.0 - 00:51:47.0
More Resources
Show more resources (102)
About this Item
Title
- William Dean Smock Collection
Names
- Lugar, Richard
- U.S. Senate/Richard Lugar
- Brouillette, Susan
- Smock, William Dean
Home State
- Indiana
Headings
- - Smock, William Dean
- - Iraq War, 2003-2011 -- Personal Narratives
- - United States. Army.
Repository
- Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Gender
- Male
Race
- White
Status
- veteran
Service History
-
Iraq War, 2003-2011
- Branch of Service: Army
- Unit of Service: 1st Battalion, 163rd Field Artillery Regiment, 76th Infantry Brigade; Indiana Army National Guard
- Location of Service: Indiana; Iraq
- Highest Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
- Dates of Service: 1971-2009
- Entrance into Service: Commissioned
- Military Status: veteran
Materials
- Computer File: CD [1 item] -- Electronic file of manuscript (collected 2008-06-28; 2009-03-15)
- Computer File: CD [1 item] -- Electronic file of manuscript (collected 2011-01-12)
- Audio: Audio Cassette [1 item] -- Oral history interview (collected unknown)
- Manuscript: Biographical information [1 item] -- Typewritten document (collected unknown)
- Manuscript: Clippings [1 item] -- Typewritten document (collected 2007-04-06)
- Manuscript: Creative works [1 item] -- (collected unknown)
- Manuscript: Military papers (orders, personnel/201 files, etc) [1 item] -- Typewritten document (collected unknown)
- Photograph: Photocopy of Photographic Print [6 items] -- Photograph (collected unknown)
Collection Number
- AFC/2001/001/77706
Cite as
- William Dean Smock Collection (AFC/2001/001/77706), Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Online Format
- audio
- image