Smith, Perry M.

Perry McCoy Smith Jr. (born December 16, 1934, in West Point, N.Y.) is a retired United States Air Force major general. He is a teacher, author and TV and radio commentator. Smith was born at West Point into a military family and travelled extensively throughout his youth. His family was stationed in Hawaii when he was six years old. On the morning of December 7, 1941 he was riding in the back of an Army truck on his way to Sunday school. He watched as the attack on Pearl Harbor took place. He lived in Italy following World War II, where his father served in the British-American military government of Italy. He attended twelve different schools in the U.S. and overseas and graduated in 1952 from Highland Falls High School in New York. He attended the United States Military Academy at West Point (USMA) following high school. Smith played intercollegiate lacrosse and was named as a member of the second team All American lacrosse team. Smith graduated from West Point in 1956. Smith went on to earn his Ph.D. in international relations from Columbia University in 1967. He also graduated from the National War College in 1971.