First Hand Tales of Daring U.S. Coast Guard Rescures

Nevada Smith grew up in many small towns throughout Illinois.  After graduating from Southern Illinois University in 1990, he enlisted in the Coast Guard and was stationed onboard Cutter Scioto, a buoy tender in Keokuk, Iowa, from 1991 to 1993. He earned his “Wings of Gold” after graduating from Navy Flight School in 1995 and flew H-60 Jayhawk helicopters in Cape Cod, MA; Kodiak, AK; San Diego, CA; Elizabeth City, NC and Astoria, OR. He retired as a commander in 2015 and presently works at Tampa International Airport.  He and his wife, Julieta, have two daughters, Catalina (18) and Vanessa (15).