Official Caption: "LIEUT. COMMANDER MERLE J. SMITH, JR. USCG at his desk at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, New London, Conn., while serving as Law Instructor." LCDR Merle Smith, USCG. Smith was a trailblazing hero, the first African American to graduate from the USCG Academy. He was a member of the Class of 1966.