Vince Nakovics retired from the U.S. Navy as a Chief Petty Officer after a diverse and unconventional career. His roles spanned technician, manager, prison guard, investigator, student, and instructor. He humorously describes his technical career as moving backward in time, starting with cutting-edge equipment and ending with 1940s-era technology aboard the USS Missouri. His journey didn’t stop there.
After retiring, Vince began reverse-engineering Revolutionary War cannon carriages for Colonial National Historical Park in Yorktown, Virginia. In 1999, he took up blacksmithing to craft 18th-century reproduction parts. As a member of the Tidewater Blacksmith Guild, he volunteered as newsletter editor, producing 65 issues over seven years and conducting interviews with over 100 American and international blacksmiths.
In 2012, Vince and his wife relocated to Albania, where he pursued his passion for writing, creating crime novels infused with international intrigue.