Today we’d like to introduce you to Jedwin Smith.
Jedwin, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I was a journalist for 37 years. I went anywhere to get a story. From hard-to-get-an-interview-with sports celebrities to the war zones of Africa and the Middle East, I went there and got the stories. In the process, I won 56 writing awards, including twice nominated for a Pulitzer.
Oftentimes the stories were offbeat. For example, when Evil Knievel was touring the U.S. promoting his Snake River jump, I went golfing with him. By the third hole, we were stripping our clothes off and comparing scars. Also, trying to explain the brutality of professional boxing, I got in the ring for a three-round exhibition bout with the number one ranked light heavyweight, Mike Quarry. I actually won the first round. Then he beat me to a pulp and TKO’d me in the second round. I couldn’t speak for a couple of days, but I won the national sports writing award.
I went from covering high school sports in 1973 to covering the NFL in 1974. I was the beat writer for the first season of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I covered five Super Bowls, two NCAA basketball finals, plus the Sugar Bowl, and numerous college bowl games as well as Major League Baseball — three World Series.
One of my favorite stories was right here in Atlanta, Georgia, wherein I covered in 1978 the NCAA Basketball finals at the Omni; this was the year Coach Al McGuire’s possessive, Marquette, won the national title. Al McGuire tracked me down at the airport for a one-on-one interview because he knew my press bag was filled with cold beer. Al told me everything over a beer.
In 2001 I went to Viet Nam to track down the VC commander responsible for my brother’s death in Mai Xi Thi in 1968. Before that, I tracked down the eight survivors of Foxtrot Company, Second Battalion, 4th Marines Regiment for the purpose of finding out what happened to my brother, Jeff. In 2005, I wrote all about this in my memoir “Our Brother’s Keeper.”
But these days I am working on a project that is near and dear to my heart: The modern-day history of the 70 years of Israel’s statehood. In the face of constant war — and unrelenting terrorism against their citizens — the nation continues to show courage while also being helpful to many of their enemies.
The title of the book is “I Am Israel — Lions and Lambs of the Land.”
I went to Israel in 2017 for 100 days where I interviewed such a wide array of people, both Israeli and Arab, who love Israel and want peace. Their challenges are huge, including politics around the world who have hidden agendas directly affecting that region. I’m in the editing process now and expect a release in late 2018 to early 2019.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Journalism is never easy, especially when done properly. No “fake news” crap for me. In fact, I was so intent on telling the truth that the State Department tried to kill the story of the Eritrean conflict in the Horn of Africa. But, thank goodness, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution stood beside me and the true story ran. Even after the story ran, the powers that be came after me. They did not forget.
In Beirut, 1983-84, I was on Hezbollah’s hit list. Again, for telling the truth. I caught Black Water fever in Eritrea and malaria, which to this day, I still deal with the recurrences.
Over the course of my war coverage, I’ve been in the gun sights of the PLO, Hezbollah, Libya, Ethiopia, and Russian soldiers. Add to that, for many years I was an alcoholic, but through massive intervention in 1982, I got sober and have remained so since that time. Struggle still, but living life one day at a time.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Luck? I prefer to say I’m alive through the grace of God.
Contact Info:
- Website: jedwinsmith.com
- Email: jedwin46@bellsouth.net
Image Credit:
Calvin Cruce, AJC, Beirut with Marine. Neil McGahee, AJC, of the Eritrean Conflict
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