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Friends, relatives bid farewell to WWII soldier, Daily Commercial, August 3, 2008 |
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LATEST NEWS ABOUT ON AMERICAN SOIL |
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AUGUST 4, 2008 SAMUEL SNOW LAID TO REST Viewing, Funeral and Burial in Leesburg, FL |
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As an Army bugler blew the first note of Taps, a raindrop struck. In typical Florida fashion, ensuing drops were warm and weighty. Sixty graveside mourners looked to the heavens in unison, each seemingly with a similar thought. Yes, Sam, your record has finally been washed clean.
The burial with full military honors was part of three days of commemoration of the life of Samuel Snow. Friday afternoon, August 1, Mr. Snow’s stainless steel casket lay open for viewing at the altar of St. Stephen AME church, where Snow had been a member for more than sixty years. The stitched inscription on casket’s interior read Samuel Snow, servant of God well done. To the casket’s left was Mr. Snow’s honorable discharge, presented six days earlier, some 63 years after his dishonorable dismissal from the U.S. Army. On July 24, 2008, Snow and his family had traveled to Washington state to be honored by the Army and the citizens of Seattle and King County. He died just after midnight on July 27 in Seattle’s Virginia Mason hospital, just hours after his son, Ray, had accepted the belated honorable discharge on his behalf. To the casket’s right was proclamation by the Army Review Boards Agency. “After careful review,” read the proclamation, in part, “the Board determined that the Army did not afford the defendants due process by the legal standards in place at that time, rendering the trial fundamentally unfair and improper.”
“God would not let his servant come home until justice was done,” said pastor emeritus Rev. R. D. Daniels at Friday’s wake.
“Being discharged during World War II with a dishonorable discharge was almost a death sentence,” said Rev. William E. Morris to a gathering of more than 250 mourners. “Not very many people would have done what Mr. Snow did under those circumstances.” “Brother Snow lived a life of grace and dignity, and he died with grace and dignity,” said former Leesburg mayor Rev. David Connelly. “He died knowing his name had been vindicated. Oh, what a way to die!” Saturday evening, family and friends gathered at the Snow home, where food, flowers and photographs set the table for reflections about Snow’s life. He was frequently described as a modest man, who rarely spoke about his WWII experiences. “Daddy kept it to himself,” said son, Ray. “Justice was important to him, but he never let injustice keep him down.”
Those wishing to send condolences should direct them to: The family of Samuel Snow In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to: The Lupus Foundation of America |
Samuel Snow was laid to rest just after midday on August 2, 2008. At the family plot outside Leesburg, Florida, an Army honor guard fired three rounds from five rifles, then presented an American flag to Snow’s widow, Margaret. The summer rain subsided almost the moment she placed the folded flag on her lap.
Anticipating that St. Stephen’s 20 pews would not hold the expected crowd, Saturday’s funeral was held at Morrison United Methodist Church. Morrison had employed Mr. Snow for more than 20 years as a custodian, including a period when blacks were unwelcome at Sunday church services. “Sam was the best custodian I’ve ever hired,” said Rev. Dr. M. McCoy Gibbs, pastor emeritus of Morrison’s now-integrated congregation, “and I’ve hired a lot of custodians.”