George A. Smith

George A. Smith is the author of Soldier of the Airwaves: Defending Democracy One Song at a Time. Sources consistently describe him as a veteran broadcaster with more than four decades of service in and around the American Forces Network, where he worked in uniform and later as a civilian.

His career took him across several countries, including Thailand, South Korea, and Germany, and later into public affairs and leadership roles tied to AFN. Accounts of his work describe him as a knowledgeable voice on the history of military broadcasting and the way AFN connected U.S. troops and families overseas with news, entertainment, and a touch of home.

That background shapes his writing: personal, historically grounded, and full of stories from life behind the microphone. His memoir draws on those years to show how military broadcasting could be both everyday companionship for listeners and a small but meaningful part of America’s presence abroad.