Second Chance

By S. R. Smith

Second Chance chronicles the author's departure from a Special Agent's position with the esteemed Oklahoma Bureau of Investigation to a new appointment as an Agent of the United States Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS). Providing counterintelligence support during the People's Power Revolution,international undercover assignments, coun

• Language: English
• Publisher: Palmetto Publishing
• Release date: May 3, 2022
• ISBN: 9781087955094

S. R. Smith

S. R. Smith, "Steve" has spent his life as a Soldier and a Lawman. A veteran of Vietnam, Desert Storm, and the War on Terror, Steve is a retired N.C.I.S. Special Agent and lives in South Carolina. He currently splits time between training his beloved Labrador Retrievers, and writing stories about his life's experiences.

Book preview

Little Colorado

I

t was late November 1984, and I had spent the week before Thanksgiving at Deer Camp in McCurtain County, Oklahoma. Hunting season was set to close, and as we sat by the campfire, memories of hunting seasons past flickered off the fire’s flames. I had moved to Oklahoma after graduating from Florida State University in 1977. Now, after seven years as an Agent with the Oklahoma Bureau of Investigation (OSBI), I was transitioning to a federal position with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS). My reporting date was 10 December 1984, and my new place of residence would be Charleston, South Carolina.

McCurtain County was referred to by some as Little Colorado. The mountains were not large; however, the mixture of hardwood forests, mountain rivers, and lakes painted a picture that certainly rivaled the Big Sky country of Colorado. Coupled with the geographical configuration of McCurtain County bordering Texas and Arkansas, the nickname Little Colorado sets the lay of the land. Most do not realize that the Red River separates the County from Texas and Arkansas.

Mountain Fork River, McCurtain County, Ok.

I learned early from my OSBI Partner, K.P. Larsch, about the infamous Red River and what it meant when the words, He will do to ride the river with, were spoken. It is a phrase used among Lawmen in Oklahoma. Most folks, outside of Oklahoma, are not familiar with the phrase, nor are they familiar with the border area between Oklahoma and Texas. The Red River runs hard separating the two states. Outlaws from the old days, such as Frank and Jesse James, along with other infamous characters like Pretty Boy Floyd and Machine Gun Kelly, used the border river as a safe haven.

To this day, Oklahoma and Texas Lawmen tread cautiously when Running the River looking for murderers, smugglers, and other assorted outlaws. The highest tribute that can be bestowed on an Oklahoma Law Officer is, He will do to ride the river with.

As the temperature dropped, fresh split oak was added to our campfire. While one of my hunting companions stirred the fire’s coals, it was not lost that my companions this year were without a doubt Lawmen that I would ride with. Troy Leathers, Tom Jordan, and Dee Cordry were not only fellow OSBI Agents but my friends. Considering the fourth member of our party, Marvin Hill, Chief of Police for Broken Bow, this year’s Deer Camp was full of real deal Lawmen. My thoughts, as the evening progressed, centered on, Will my new outfit (NCIS) have Lawmen in their ranks?

Ten December arrived and I reported to work at the NCIS Office aboard Charleston Naval Base. Temporary quarters at the BOQ had been arranged, and as I traversed the base, the sight of Nuclear Attack Submarines pretty much locked my brain into knowing I was no longer in Oklahoma. Introduction to the Agent in Charge was immediately followed by a short conversation. Carl Meritt was the name of my new Boss, and although not a big man, his manner and presence left no doubt he was The Boss. Our short conversation disclosed he was a former US Marine, and that he had been with NCIS for close to twenty years. I walked away from the encounter with a solid feeling, for I had already identified Carl as a Quiet Professional. Jim O’Neal was introduced as my Assistant Special Agent in Charge (ASAC). As he spoke, I knew for sure I wasn’t in Oklahoma. Jim’s accent was without a doubt a giveaway for Rhode Island, as I recalled living there when my father was stationed at Quonset Point. Next was Joe O’Connor, the ASAC for Fraud. Joe had an easy manner, and if I didn’t know he was an NCIS Agent, I would have guessed he was possibly a Catholic Father.

Buddy Williams and Richard Garbett were introduced, followed by me being told the General Criminal Squad would be my assignment. When lunchtime arrived, Williams and Garbett invited me to join them at their favorite Chinese Buffet in North Charleston. Before finishing lunch, I had assessed both Williams and Garbett as solid guys and felt relieved that the three of us would be partners. Time zinged by, and before I had settled in completely, I was scheduled to attend the basic Criminal Investigation School located at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Brunswick, Georgia.

Arrival at FLETC was a curious experience, for thirty years before, my father had been stationed at the U.S. Navy Installation which was now FLETC. Initial trips to Brunswick resulted in me finding the elementary school I had attended and the small wood-frame house my family and I lived in.

The basic Criminal Investigator course was structured over an eight-week curriculum and did not require excessive worry or study, for my seven years as an Oklahoma Bureau Agent had more than prepared me for the task. My class was a mixture of NCIS personnel and IRS employees. The goal for all was graduation and appointment as an 1811 designated Federal Special Agent. Most of my fellow students were five to ten years younger than I was, so I gravitated towards an older Marine member who was a Criminal Investigation Division (CID) Agent assigned to NCIS. His service with the Marine Corp in Vietnam was our common ground, and a strong friendship emerged.

Graduation from FLETC was followed by two additional weeks of training at NCIS Headquarters, Washington, D.C., and within no time I resumed my duties back in Charleston. Operational and investigative demands were substantial, however, I was accustomed to such at the State Bureau. Administrative responsibilities were another issue altogether. Once I realized that the primary difference between State and Federal Government agencies was the volume and repetition of paperwork, I was sailing on smoother seas.

Serious crimes involving US Naval or Marine Corp personnel were, if committed on base, the jurisdiction of NCIS. Crimes perpetrated off base, involving Navy or Marine members, were normally handled by local civilian jurisdictions; however, often the civilian authorities would request NCIS assistance on certain aspects of their investigations. Two such instances occurred back to back while I was in