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ST. MARY HONORS ALUM WHO IS WWII VETERAN

South Bergenite - 2/9/2017

Alumni and Development Director Michael Sheridan presented World War II veteran William Joseph Snyder, 97, with the 2017 Alumni Distinguished Patron Award, recognizing that he saved the lives of his fellow Americans.

RUTHERFORD -- World War II veteran William Joseph Snyder, 97, is part of a vanishing breed of heroes. The Silver Star recipient spent his afternoon on Feb. 1 being honored by the students and staff at St. Mary High School. But it was the students and staff who felt honored by Snyder's visit.

Snyder, who now resides in Hillsdale with his daughter, graduated from St. Mary in 1936 and enlisted in the Army in November 1941, right before the attack on Pearl Harbor.

"I had two uncles in the previous war," Snyder said. "One of them said to me: If you have to go to war, go in the water or in the air."

Having earned his private pilot's license before reporting to training, he was selected to become an Army Air Corps pilot. With that advantage, Snyder rapidly advanced through the ranks, being put in charge of a large group of men after boot camp.

He was in command of 72 aircraft and flew more than 70 missions during the war. His unit within the 310th Bombardment Group was called the "Bridge Busters," focusing on bombing bridges in Italy to slow down supply lines.

"You had to fly straight and level to drop the bombs on these 100-foot bridges," Snyder said. "And because of that, it gave [the enemy] the chance to hit you."

"God was and is my co-pilot," he said.

In November, Snyder was honored with the Silver Star, the United States military's third-highest decoration for valor in combat, for a mission he flew in Italy almost 70 years ago. With his B-52 severely crippled by enemy fire, Snyder led 18 planes to successfully bomb a communications point in Dogna, Italy. The citation from Snyder's commanding officer for the Silver Star was originally issued in June 1945 but was lost in the confusion at the end of the war, said Snyder's daughter, Melinda Carney.

During the assembly at St. Mary High School, Alumni and Development Director Michael Sheridan said it was a great opportunity to meet and shake the hand of an American hero. Snyder's visit worked perfectly with the school's Catholic Schools Week theme of Patriots Day.

Sheridan presented Snyder with the 2017 Alumni Distinguished Patron Award, recognizing that he saved the lives of his fellow Americans. Snyder thanked the students and the school for honoring him, adding that he was grateful to be able to return to a place that was such a large part of his life. Snyder was further honored by Councilman Frank Nunziato on behalf of the governing body and presented with a proclamation that designated Feb. 1, 2017, as Maj. William Joseph Snyder Day in Rutherford.

"Thank you for this proclamation. It's far, far greater than anything I ever anticipated," Snyder said, seemingly overwhelmed by the proclamation.

After the assembly, the students had the opportunity to speak with Snyder, shake his hand and look at his Silver Star and his service uniform.

Carney said her father talked about his school often.

"He wanted to share his [military] experience and honor with another generation," Carney said. "He's always shared his experiences, the ups and the downs."

Besides being honored at St. Mary, Snyder was the bell captain at a Giants game in December, Carney said.

"He was a 50-plus-year ticket holder, and it was the first time he was in the new stadium. It was like an additional homecoming for him," Carney said. She joked that her father is "getting a lot of mileage" out of his Silver Star.

According to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs statistics, of the 16 million Americans who served during World War II, only 620,000 of them were alive in 2016.

Alumni and Development Director Michael Sheridan presented World War II veteran William Joseph Snyder, 97, with the 2017 Alumni Distinguished Patron Award, recognizing that he saved the lives of his fellow Americans.