Smith named to board of Black Belt Hall of Fame
September 23, 2020
By Alex Junes-Ward
W. Thomas Smith Jr., a New York Times bestselling editor and former U.S. Marine, was named to the board of directors of the S.C. Black Belt Hall of Fame (SCBBHOF), Sept. 15.
“Tom’s being named to the board brings so much to the Hall of Fame,” says Col. Steve Vitali, U.S. Marine Corps (Ret.), a 2017 SCBBHOF inductee. “His proven writing, editing, and public information skills as well as his Marine infantry experience – and all the dogged persistence and meticulous attention to detail associated with being a leader of Marines – are all one thing. Then there’s Tom’s special personality and his ability to galvanize and direct others in pursuit of an objective.”
In his addition to his service in the Marine Corps as both a rifle squad leader in the 5th Marine Regiment and a counterterrorism instructor, Smith is a former SWAT team officer in the nuclear industry. He is also a retired field-grade officer in the S.C. Military Dept. (SCMD), having established the SCMD’s first-ever counterterrorism task force while serving on an advisory council for the late S.C. Adjutant Gen. Stan Spears.
The author of several books and countless articles, Smith was the military technical advisor and one of the editors for the New York Times bestseller Quiet Hero by Rita Cosby, special correspondent for CBS’s Inside Edition. He has also served as technical consultant for programs airing on the Military Channel.
Smith today serves as special deputy with the Richland County Sheriff’s Dept. where among his responsibilities he serves as director of the department’s Elder Abuse Awareness Team. He also serves on the executive leadership team of the National Security Task Force, S.C. Floodwater Commission.
Since its inception in the 1980’s (officially established in 2012), the SCBBHOF has become one of the most-respected martial arts halls of fame in the nation. Among its inductees are Vitali’s brother Keith Vitali, former U.S. National Karate Champion and one of Black Belt magazine’s “top 10 fighters of all time” who also starred in the karate classic ‘Revenge of the Ninja’ among other top-billed martial arts movies.
The SCBBHOF is governed by an executive committee led by SCBBHOF Pres. Mike Genova, who directs the board as well as an advisory council.
– Alex Junes-Ward is a Columbia, S.C.-based freelance writer.
