My Father

[KG_Panzerschreck]

My Dad, Cpl. Norbert Snyder Jr.,{Thats him in my avatar pic} was in the 25th Regiment of the 4th Marine Division during WWII. I have always been proud of my Dads accomplishments during WWII and that is what lead me at an early age to have a facination with military history. My dad died when i was 10 years old in 1979. I never got a chance to talk to him about his experiences. I later found out that he never talked much about the war and his experiences until very late in his life. My one older brother told me it was like he was unburdening himself before he died. He never really spoke of his own acomplishments. He only spoke in terms of rememberance of his fallen friends from so long ago, the horrors of combat, and the great amount of respect he had for the Japanese soldier. It was only a few years ago when after a 2 year wait, i found out what kind of a Marine he really was after getting his service records from the national archives. He excelled at boot camp, scoring marksman with the pistol. He was then sent to NCO school for showing good leadership qualities. After NCO school he went through Heavy Weapons training and was assigned as a corporal in charge of a .50 cal HMG platoon. Then he was off to base camp of the 4th Marine division in Maui. He joined up with the division after the Kwajalein Island Invasion. While at base camp on Maui my Dad made a name for himself as a Boxer and did very well on the Divisions Football team. He went on to fight on the Islands of Siapan, Tinian & Iwo Jima. He was wounded on Iwo Jima. He ran out into open ground, under fire to rescue a wounded comrade. On his way back he got hit in his one buttocks by a mortar fragment but still managed to carry his friend to safety. After the war He was belatedly awarded a Bronze Star for his actions on Iwo Jima. A fact in which he never told anyone. His Purple Heart awarded during the war came with a Bronze Star clasp for bravery. He spent the rest of the war after he healed escorting military prisoners back and forth between Maui and the USA on airplanes.

My Dad was so much like all the others of his generation who fought in WWII. He never spoke of his own accomplishments or the war for that matter, he was just glad to get home alive. They never considered themselves Heros or special in any way. They just did a job and wanted to come home. But they, and especially He, will always be Hero's to me.

[Jim O]

Originally Posted by KG_Panzerschreck

My Dad was so much like all the others of his generation who fought in WWII. He never spoke of his own accomplishments or the war for that matter, he was just glad to get home alive. They never considered themselves Heros or special in any way. They just did a job and wanted to come home. But they, and especially He, will always be Hero's to me.

Thanks for sharing your story. I know you must miss him having lost him at such a young age (for both of you). Like you, I know or knew many veterans of this war that were the same way. They speak little of their experiences, believing that they simply did what they had to do.

For what it's worth, they were all heroes in my opinion.

[cyberia]

For your Dad, Kent. Prosit!

[Panzermacher]

Semper Fi....Mac.....
Thank you for your father's service.

Our dads may even have met my dad took alot of Gyrenes all over the Pacific too.

My dad never talked of what he did either. Most stuff I learned second hand from my mom. He is just now...in the twilight of his life, telling me the same stories mom had told me years ago. We lose 1000 of the "Greatest Generation" a day, soon those stories will just fade into the past. I for one listen when a WW2 vet starts a tale.

[Biscuit]

Thanks for sharing your father's service with us Kent. One of my grandfathers had duties Stateside and the other died before I was old enough to ask questions, so there's something special about hearing other peoples' stories - like "oh, maybe that is similar to what Grangran went through."

In any event, thank you!

[KG_Panzerschreck]

Thank you all. A salute to all Vets past and present!

[TRDG]

A Hero to me as well, serving in two wars, then losing him when you were young, I feel for you.

Cheers, thanks for sharing, I hope it helps out for you.

Best regards and respect.

Tom Young

[Geek44]

Thanks Kent...good to see you around too mate.
Peace.