Topic: Salute to Snuffy - A Real American Hero

[Magnum]

A couple days ago a man I greatly admired and was proud to call my friend passed away.

When I was a kid I worked at a golf course and I got to know Snuffy who was a member there. I was honored that he took the time to share with me stories about his experiences in WW II. He was a survivor of the Bataan death march and saw and experienced unimagined brutality by the hands of the Japanese soldiers. One of the remarkable characteristics of Snuffy was his kindness. He had a deep love of God and country. He often stressed to me that you have to learn to forgive and not let hatred ever get a stronghold in your life...............


"He was born May 18, 1918 in St. Paul. He was drafted into the Army April 14, 1941, assigned at Fort Lewis, Washington as a medic in the 194th tank battalion and sent to the Philippines. After the American surrender, he was taken prisoner by the Japanese April 9, 1942 on the Bataan Peninsula. Survived the infamous Bataan Death March. From April 1942- Sept. 1944, he survived the brutal conditions and treatment at POW camps O'Donnell and Cabanatuan. He stayed at Bilibid Prison in Manila until Dec. 13, 1944, where 1,620 American POW's were crammed in the hold of the "Hellship" Oryoku Maru for the journey to Japan. He was one of the 402 who survived to the end of the war. After the "49 days in hell", he arrived Jan. 29, 1945 at the slave labor prison camp Fukuoka 17 in Omuto Japan across the bay from Nagasaki. There he worked 12 hour shifts at the Mitsuimiike Tankuo coal mine until the end of the War in Aug. 1945. Harold was also a member of the organizations: Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor, Veterans of Foreign War, American Ex-Prisoners of War, and the Knights of Columbus."

   



I am sad and will miss Snuff, but also I rejoice because I was honored to know him and was a better person for it. I too rejoice because I believe he is in Heaven with the Lord.

[benb61]

Rest in Peace!

Lets hope he has our Lords ear and suggests that He fix this mess, in a way only He can.  That would show these godless POS's.

[Glock32]

RIP to a good man. It's a shame that they paid such a huge price to protect we who were not yet born from fascism, only for our generations to do with this country what they have.

[ChrstnHsbndFthr]

Beautiful tribute and he gave great advice. Learn forgiveness and not let hatred ever get a stronghold in your life....

May God rest his soul! Thank you for sharing this pain and joy with us.

A couple days ago a man I greatly admired and was proud to call my friend passed away.

When I was a kid I worked at a golf course and I got to know Snuffy who was a member there. I was honored that he took the time to share with me stories about his experiences in WW II. He was a survivor of the Bataan death march and saw and experienced unimagined brutality by the hands of the Japanese soldiers. One of the remarkable characteristics of Snuffy was his kindness. He had a deep love of God and country. He often stressed to me that you have to learn to forgive and not let hatred ever get a stronghold in your life...............


"He was born May 18, 1918 in St. Paul. He was drafted into the Army April 14, 1941, assigned at Fort Lewis, Washington as a medic in the 194th tank battalion and sent to the Philippines. After the American surrender, he was taken prisoner by the Japanese April 9, 1942 on the Bataan Peninsula. Survived the infamous Bataan Death March. From April 1942- Sept. 1944, he survived the brutal conditions and treatment at POW camps O'Donnell and Cabanatuan. He stayed at Bilibid Prison in Manila until Dec. 13, 1944, where 1,620 American POW's were crammed in the hold of the "Hellship" Oryoku Maru for the journey to Japan. He was one of the 402 who survived to the end of the war. After the "49 days in hell", he arrived Jan. 29, 1945 at the slave labor prison camp Fukuoka 17 in Omuto Japan across the bay from Nagasaki. There he worked 12 hour shifts at the Mitsuimiike Tankuo coal mine until the end of the War in Aug. 1945. Harold was also a member of the organizations: Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor, Veterans of Foreign War, American Ex-Prisoners of War, and the Knights of Columbus."

   



I am sad and will miss Snuff, but also I rejoice because I was honored to know him and was a better person for it. I too rejoice because I believe he is in Heaven with the Lord.

[IronDioPriest]

Sorry for your loss Magnum, and thanks for sharing. RIP Snuffy.

 

[Alphabet Soup]

That was a touching tribute Magnum - thanks for sharing with us.

[Libertas]

Awesome Magnum, thanks for posting this.

R.I.P. Snuffy, you've earned it a hundred times over at least!   

[AmericanPatriot]

The Greatest Generation will soon only be memories.
We must not forget them

[Libertas]

My Uncle who served in WWII and marched from France to Germany is in his 90's, once he is gone they'll be nobody in my entire extended family who served at that time, it will be a sad day.

[Glock32]

It is sad that there's so few of them left. I remember growing up how there was only a handful of WWI veterans still living, and I think the last known and documented WWI vet died a few years ago in Australia. It's now getting that way for WWII vets.

I remember once looking through stuff in the attic at my grandparents' house when I was a kid. My granddad had been in the Navy in the Pacific theater of WWII, he piloted amphibious landing craft. Some of the stuff he had amazed me -- a Japanese Arisaka rifle (which I have now), a Rising Sun battle flag with literal blood stains on it, and some goggles worn by anti-aircraft gunners that allowed them to look directly at the sun without being blinded. The most un-PC relic was a field guide on how to understand the pidgin English of the natives of New Guinea.

[Libertas]

I have a 47mm mortar round, a brass casing from a 80-some mm canon and a old intert pineapple granade from my maternal grandfather.  Nothing special, but neat for a young boy to have possession of.