While obtaining an education at Ernie captured another prize by the name of Wanda MacPhee , a graduate of the Charlottetown Hospital School of Nursing in 1951 They married in Jan. 1952 and became the parents of eleven children: Deborah Smith - Herman , M.D. , M.P.H ., married to Allen Herman , M.D. ,Ph. D , , MD, Andrea Smith , B.A ., New , Alanna Smith -DeVito , B.A ., married to Peter DeVito , B.A ., Goshen, NY , Leah Pengel , married to Lawrence Pengel , Stoughton, MA, Toni DeGoede married to Christian DeGoede , Goshen, NY , Peter Smith , 1st Sgt, Army , married to Isobel Smith, Captain US Army , Goshen, NY , Paul Smith , Goshen, NY , Neila Kennedy married to Jim Kennedy , Matamoras, PA, Sheilagh Smith -Banks , J.D ., married to Alex Banks , J.D ., Williamstown, V.T., Stephanie Smith -Bumgarner , J.D. Major , USMC, married to Tony Bumgarner , Lt. Col., USMC, Arlington , VA, Aimee Smith -Bywater , married to Bill Bywater , New Windsor, NY . Ernie had a lot of significant occurrences in his life but there were others prior to his coming to SDU. He was one of the first African Americans to enter the U.S. Marine Corp ( 1942-1946). As a Marine he served overseas and participated in the re-capture of the , , Iwo Jima, and undertook occupational duties in the mainland of Japan. After his discharge from the Marine Corps he applied to many colleges, both in the U.S . and Canada . Through a relative he chose SDU. He says;"As a Marine who was responsible for a company of Marines I found it very difficult to abide by the structures of SDU. However, since I was there to get an education, I followed most of the regulations." His most enjoyable experiences have been working with troubled individuals and with communities in turmoil. The most important and most rewarding area of work has been identifying communities where people are interested in social change. This involved assisting them in identifying needs and helping them develop an ability to change their conditions by bringing together community, politicians and funding sources. Ernie also enjoyed working with his parish and has even found time to learn to play golf. Ernie says his most memorable time at St. Dunstan's was "arriving there with a number of French speaking students, thinking French was the language spoken. Then, to further complicate matters, meeting an Island student in Dalton Hall whose first words to me were 'Bon jour'. When I informed him I didn't speak French he laughed and said neither did he. The student, Fr. John Cash , remained a close friend through my four years at SDU and up to his death in 1998. Another memorable occasion was my conversion to Catholicism and in 1950 meeting my wife at a Sadie Hawkins dance."