If you’re looking for the author Roland Smith (Cryptid Hunter, Peak, Elephant Run), you’re in the wrong place! Please navigate to www.rolandsmith.com!
Roland and Nina Smith currently live in Pocatello, Idaho. They have eight children (six living), all away from home. Four are married. They have sixteen grandchildren.
Roland is currently “underemployed” having been laid off from AMI Semiconductor in July, 2007. Roland’s hobbies include genealogy, photography, travel (particularly international travel), and anything to do with computers.
Nina is a full-time homemaker. She also enjoys genealogy, origami, photography, travel, and collecting. She has numerous collections, including medicine bottles, kokeshi dolls, Pez dispensers, Stangl pottery, keys, and occupied Japan figurines.
Roland was born in Utah and raised in Soda Springs, Idaho. Following graduation from High School, he enlisted in the US Air Force and became a Chinese linguist and part of the United States Air Force Security Service (USAFSS). Nina and Roland were married June 12, 1964, and moved immediately to San Angelo Texas. That was followed by a 42 month stay in Japan intersperced with a number of temporary duty assignments for Roland in Viet Nam.
Nina was born in Connecticut and grew up primarily in New Jersy and Connecticut. She married Roland the day she completed High School and then accompanied him to Japan.
The family has lived in Texas, Japan, Indiana, Ohio, Germany, Utah, a second time in Japan, a few months in California, Colorado Springs, and now Pocatello, Idaho. They own a small motorhome and enjoy camping, particularly in state and national parks. They also have discovered cruise vacations and generally take at least one ocean or river cruise each year. They are actively involved in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons).
Okay, this is going to sound wierd but there is some wierd coincendences between us and you. After being intriqued by the Chandler and the name stuff – I started to poke around a little more. Here are some more
things in common. My dad is actually from Sofia, Bulgaria and goes back every summer. Also,
my husband works for the semi-conductor industry (he is a mechanical designer) He was
stationed in Pocatello when I first met him (on-line). He loves Idaho and talks about how
much he would love to be able to work back there. So weird!!!!
Dear Roland, I just ran across your account of your Chinese schooling at Yale. I was in the IFEL Mandarin Basic class that graduated in June 1964. I lived a block from you at Rosenfeld Hall, in a room with 2 roommates, one of whom married a local lady named Karen Shugrue (sp). My good friend at Yale was Boyd Worley, a sergeant who was back for his 2nd time, taking the advanced Mandarin course. He lived in the same dorm as did you. I wound up, somehow, being one of the 2 “Valedictorians” for our class of ~60 guys. I then went to Kelly and Goodfellow for RIA, and eventually wound up in Misawa for a couple of years. I did TDYs in Danang beginning 10/1965 and ending in 1966. I moved on to other intelligence community opportunities. It’s great to “talk” to someone who was in similar circumstances! Please do not publish my name on the Web. Thanks & Best Wishes. Don
Hey there!!! What’s your private email address? I’m not sure you’re still at AMI.
Progressive doesn’t allow IM’s outside the company and I can’t get to any non-company
email. Drop me a line at the above email address or randy_woost@progressive.com. I’m in
CLE 10/10-10/14. Or call my cell 719-660-1306.
Randy
Hello,
I stumbled on some pictures when I was looking under the name Philo Holbrook. My Grandmother, Emily Holbrook Gaylord’s father was Philo Holbrook son of Philo Holbrook pictured on the web site. Her father’s brother was George Arthur Holbrook. I would be pleased to find out more about the family. Philo Holbrook Jr. moved to Oregon, married, had 5 children, one of whom was my grandmother Emily. My husband and I are living on land that was a part of the Holbrook land just outside Portland. We bult out house here and are the only members of the family that still hav e a part of the family property.
I am not sure how Nina and Nancy Friend fit in the relationship with George Holbrook as I have focused my work on his brother Philo. I hope to get back to connecticut some day but was thrilled with the picture of Philo Senior.
Please feel free to contact me if you care to share any more about the Holbrooks in Connecticut.
Sincerely,
Nancy Montgomery
Hi Rolland, I ran across your site here and thought I would say hello. I hope all is well up in Idaho. We will be up there twice this summer in Twin Falls.
Talk to you later
Bob Archibald