THE WALL OF FACES

Thank you for your service to our country so long ago sir. The remembrance fro your sister Lavonne on behalf of the family is moving and reflects their eternal love for you. As long as you are remembered you will always be with us….

Sergeant Thomas Edward Snowden was awarded the Silver Star Medal for his conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action. He served as an Infantryman and was assigned to G CO, 75TH INFANTRY, 196TH INFANTRY BDE, AMERICAL DIV.
See http://www.coffeltdatabase.org/detreq2.php

Dear Sgt Thomas Snowden, Thank you for your service as an Infantryman. Saying thank you isn't enough, but it is from the heart. It is Spring , and Lent. Time moves quickly. Please watch over America, it stills needs your strength, courage, guidance and faithfulness, especially now. Rest in peace with the angels.

I cannot imagine what it is like to lose a son, or a brother to whom you are close. But I do know what it was like to lose my first love.
I hesitated writing something, because I don't want anyone to think that this post is all about me. It is instead, about my memories of Tom and my feelings for my first love. You never forget your first love, I guess.
The other day a very girly student was telling me that she was going into the Marines 5 days after graduation. I was surprised, and then I told her about Tom, to which she started asking military details. I googled Tom's name and found this web site. She and I read the medics post and suddenly we were both in tears, as it was beyond sad. I had only known that he was a ranger and that he was killed as a point, but the details of those last minutes of his life, I did not know.
My memory has faded, and a lot from 1969 to 1971 is a blur. I believe I met Tom in September, 1969 at a bonfire at Leeward Community college my sophomore year. He was standing alone mesmerized by the flames. I found out later that he had a girlfriend so we were just friends.
Once we started dating, we were pretty much inseparable. It seemed like we were always together: at LCC, his house (I am sure I outstayed my welcome at times), my house, or his work at the pool and elsewhere.
I remember us going out to dinner for my 20th birthday (drinking age in Hawaii) in June of 1970. All night I could sense that something was wrong, and finally at the end of the date, on my couch, Tom told me that he had been drafted (low lottery number and no longer college exempted), and he was leaving soon to Fort Ord. Being the guy that he was, he said that he had not wanted to ruin my birthday.
Tom came back to Hawaii for Christmas 1970 before leaving for Vietnam and it was wonderful for me and for his family. He proposed to me on New Years eve before he left. I don't know if he ever told his family about the engagement, as it was unofficial and WE "HAD PLENTY OF TIME" to tell everyone and to make plans. However, he was killed in May, just before his R & R in June.
It was love and I was devastated when he died. I have saved his letters and I believe someone in charge of his personal affects sent me back the letters that I had written to him. But to this day, I cannot read the letters, and seeing
this web site, seeing pictures, remembering him, etc., bring out wailing tears even after all this time.
Because we were not married, I felt like an outsider at the military funeral and with the family, which is the way it should have been.
I dropped out of school the last 2 weeks of college because everywhere I looked I remembered Tom. We touched every part of that campus, When I went there composed, people would comment that Tom must not have meant much if I am not crying all the time. And yet, if I cried all the time, I made everyone sad.
I cried myself to sleep every night for a year, until a failed suicide attempt and my psychology professor told me that I needed to get away. I went to Europe, which was exactly what I needed. I, like his family, went on with my life with a hole in it, but evidently I have never, ever gotten over Tom.

I think of you so often, even to this day.