LCDR Curtis J. Smothers, U.S. Navy (1962-1986)

A Navy Father and an Army Son
Yes—one of my children did follow my footsteps into military service. My son, Mark, chose a different path, but one just as meaningful. After growing up for 20 years as the son of a Navy man, he decided the Army was the right fit for him.

I was serving as an active-duty Navy officer when Mark made his decision. One of the proudest moments of my life came in 1981 at an Army Recruiting Station in Fresno, California, when I had the honor of administering the oath of enlistment to my own son. Watching him raise his right hand and swear to serve our country was a powerful reminder that service is not only a profession, but a legacy.

Mark completed basic training and was assigned as a communications specialist in the Army Signal Corps. His technical aptitude and discipline served him well, and he went on to spend more than four years stationed in Germany. Those years were formative—not only professionally, but personally. While both he and she were serving on active duty, Mark met the woman who would later become his wife and the mother of his two children. The Army didn’t just give him a career foundation; it introduced him to the family he would build.

After completing his service honorably, Mark and his wife returned to California, where they were married and began civilian life together. Like many veterans, he leveraged the benefits he earned through his service, using his educational assistance to pursue higher education. His dedication paid off when he earned a master’s degree in business administration with a focus in accounting—another example of how military discipline can translate into civilian success.

My wife and I eventually followed Mark and his growing family to Colorado, where we had the privilege of watching our grandson and granddaughter grow up. That chapter of our lives has been richly rewarding. Today, our granddaughter has children of her own, giving us three great-grandchildren whom we absolutely adore. Seeing multiple generations thrive has been one of the greatest blessings of our later years.

Despite serving in different branches, Mark and I share a bond rooted in military service—and a good-natured rivalry that comes alive every year during the Army-Navy game. For our family, that matchup is nothing short of the Super Bowl. The teasing is enthusiastic, the loyalties firm, and the respect mutual.

I am proud of my own service to the Navy, and I am equally proud of my son’s service to the Army. Together, our Navy-Army father-son team represents a shared commitment to serving the United States—at sea and on land—and a legacy of duty that continues to shape our family to this day.

Read the Military Memories of our Runner-Ups.