When the U.S. Army sent Col. Larry Smith to Vancouver Barracks in 1989, it gave him the opportunity to work with community leaders.
Now Smith has been recognized as one of those community contributors. The Community Foundation for Southwest Washington announced Friday that Smith has been named 2017 First Citizen.
“So many people are worthy of this award,” Smith, 75, said Friday afternoon. “I’m completely flabbergasted.”
He will be honored on Nov. 9 in a 4 p.m. presentation at WareHouse ’23, 100 Columbia St. The First Citizen program is a partnership of the Community Foundation and The Columbian; the event’s presenting sponsor is Regents Bank.
In his nomination, George Francisco wrote: “Virtually every citizen of our community has benefitted” from Smith’s efforts in the public sector as well as in his community roles.
Smith’s volunteer service includes the Parks Foundation, the local chapter of the American Red Cross, Loaves and Fishes, the Community Military Appreciation Committee, Meals on Wheels and the Veterans Court advisory board. He serves as the host for several annual community events.
Smith, who served two combat tours in Vietnam, said he can trace it back to when he came to Vancouver Barracks.
As the 104th Division’s senior Army adviser, “I had a public outreach role,” Smith said. “I was an active-duty, full-time Army officer.”
Other officers in the 104th Division “were reservists, with full-time civilian jobs. They could not be the voice of the 104th, so I had an opportunity to work with the city,” Smith said.
In that capacity, Smith said he worked with many previous First Citizens, including George Propstra, Ed Firstenburg, Ed and Dollie Lynch, Royce Pollard and Bruce Hagensen.
And when his Army hitch was up in 1991, “That made it an easy decision for me to stay here and get out at 26 years, rather than take another tour, another four years” somewhere else.
Smith and wife Patti had an 11-year-old daughter, and “We thought this was a good place for her to grow up.”
Smith became assistant to Vancouver’s city manager, and then director of parks and recreation in 1996. He was elected to the city council in 2004 and stepped down at the end of 2016.
In supporting Smith’s nomination, Mayor Tim Leavitt wrote: “Thankfully, Larry did not retire from public service upon his departure from the Vancouver City Council.”
