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Veteran deserved special attention

Sunday was Veterans Day, a time to thank all who have served in our military. We don’t think anyone, however, begrudged a local veteran who had a bit of a brighter spotlight shown on him than most that day.

On Sunday, one of the Greatest Generation, World War II veteran John Snyder, age 98, was singled out and honored for his service in a ceremony at American Legion Post 114 in Greenwood Location.

The special honor ceremony was a complete surprise to Snyder, who thought he was attending a “regular” Veterans Day ceremony at the post, which is west of Ishpeming.

When he arrived, much to his amazement, Snyder was seated at the hall’s head table as the guest of honor, alongside American Legion officers and veterans of several wars. The post’s hall was full with tons of additional well-wishers.

As detailed by Journal Staff Writer Cecilia Brown in Thursday’s paper, Snyder is an outstanding individual. His list of achievements as a veteran and a community member were highlighted by those who spoke during the ceremony, with officers commending him as a veteran of “special note and special interest” who is an “exceptional man, an exceptional veteran and a humanitarian,” Brown’s story said.

In addition to the post’s members and officers honoring Snyder for his service, he was presented with a proclamation from the U.S. House of Representatives, as well as a flag that had been flown at the United States Capitol building in his honor.

“We have a flag that flew over the capital of the country in his name, we have a proclamation from the (U.S.) House of Representatives that was put in the official record and we’re going to be reading that. It talks about his personal history and his dedication to the United States of America as a true war hero. He is part of the Greatest Generation,” said Stephen Olsen, American Legion Post 114 officer, at the event.

Olsen read from the two proclamations that were presented in honor of Snyder. Olsen shared words from U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman with the audience: “On this Veterans Day weekend, it is my honor to recognize the life of John Snyder as a proud veteran of the Second World War and an upstanding member of his community.”

Bergman’s words were from a Nov. 9 proclamation from the U.S. House of Representatives.

“John is an indispensable part of Michigan’s first district. John served in the United States Navy as a pilot from 1940 to 1945, from before the attack on Pearl Harbor to when we reached the shores of Japan. He served as a flight instructor and a flight leader, never losing a pilot under his command.

“During the island-hopping campaign, John flew throughout the South Pacific on his Grumman F6F Hellcat fighter and shot down several enemy aircraft over the course of the war. As an officer with several decorations, John is proud of his military service and enjoys sharing his experience with others. For the United States, World War II was a turning point. As citizens, we found strength in common purpose, found the ties that bound us together and displayed the impenetrable force of American democracy. Over 400,000 American lives were lost, lives given in defense of freedom. We owe John and his brothers in arms an enormous amount of gratitude.”

Absolutely right. While Snyder smiled throughout the ceremony, like many of his generation, he was humble about this special honor, noting his appreciation for the service of his fellow veterans.

“It was critical what we did over there, but I think military people … now are doing a greater service than I ever did. I do believe that,” Snyder said.

We commend the American Legion Post for its work to honor this wonderful WWII veteran, who has served his country his whole life.

Congratulations to John Snyder. We’re all lucky you’ve been here to help your community and all of us for so many decades.

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