thedrifter
09-27-07, 03:23 PM
Community keeps faith with Marines' families
09/27/07
By Pat van den Beemt
North County residents can't travel too far these days without seeing the names Anderson and Snyder.
Banners advertising an Oct. 12 bull and oyster roast to benefit the Anderson-Snyder Memorial Fund hang by many roads; just recently, smaller signs began appearing in front yards and beside exit ramps from Interstate 83.
It's possible some people don't recognize the names. But it's more likely that people recall a six-week stretch in 2005 when North County lost two of its own.
On Oct. 19, Norman "Wally" Anderson III, a Hereford High School graduate who deployed to Iraq with his Marine Corps unit, was killed by a suicide car bomber. Then, on Nov. 30, Joshua Snyder, who played football with Anderson at Hereford and became his bunkmate at boot camp, died of wounds from small-arms fire.
In memorial services at the high school and at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, the Anderson and Snyder families implored the community not to forget their sons.
North County hasn't.
The first-ever Hereford Parade, in 2006, was dedicated to Anderson and Snyder. Two poker runs -- the most recent attracting 150 motorcyclists -- raised money for scholarships in their names.
Last year, some 1,300 people attended a bull and oyster roast at the state fairgrounds in Timonium, also to raise money for scholarships.
This year's event will be held at Martin's Valley Mansion in Cockeysville, where photos of Norm and Josh -- from boyhood to adulthood -- will be shown on nine screens.
"It's a night where we talk and we laugh, and it's all about good memories," said Robyn Anderson as she and Doris Snyder sat recently at Anderson's kitchen table in White Hall. "Sure, it's an emotional night, but for us, any time people are talking about our sons is a good time."
To this day, she wants to believe that her son will come home, she said.
"That first year, I hoped it was all a mistake and that they needed him for a mission, so they had to pretend he died," she said. "Now that it's almost two years, I know he's not coming home. Some days I can talk about Norm all day long. Others, all I can do is sob."
The past year was harder than the previous one, Snyder said.
"There were so many honors for Josh that first year, it kept me going. I was so proud every time he was honored," she said. "There's more down time this year. More time for his death to really sink in. I have my good days and my bad days, but I'm not sure I've really dealt with it yet."
Anderson's widow, the former Tori Worthing, said she felt numb for a year following the deaths.
"Josh and Norm were more than best friends," she said. "Josh once told me that if Norm didn't come back from Iraq, he didn't want to come back either."
The three shared an apartment near Camp Lejeune, N.C., and Tori and Norm married three weeks before he left for Iraq.
"The way their schedules worked, one was in the field for two weeks while the other was home, " she said. "Norm always counted on Josh to take care of me when he wasn't there."
Although she has moved to Cockeysville and has a boyfriend, Tori said Norm and Josh will always be part of her life, and she will attend the bull and oyster roast.
"It will be hard seeing their smiling faces on the slide show, but the night is all about Norm and Josh and we want people to see how happy they were," she said.
Lance Cpl. Anderson and Cpl. Synder said their presence in Iraq deterred terrorist attacks in America. Today, their families say the United States should not withdraw its forces prematurely.
"To Josh, our country was like our family farm. He would do anything for it," Doris Snyder said. "He said he'd rather fight the enemy over there than over here."
The mothers, who keep in touch with many of their sons' friends from Hereford, as well as Marines from their units, recently broadened the scope of the Anderson-Snyder Memorial Fund to include military families in need.
Previously, money went solely to scholarships -- five, totaling $6,000, so far -- for Hereford High School graduates.
"We think the boys would want us to help their family -- the Marine family," Snyder said. "We haven't given any money to any families yet, but we'd like to."
On their wrists, both women wear camouflage-colored rubber bands stamped with their sons' names. They will sell them Oct. 12 for $3 each, with proceeds going to the memorial fund.
"The bull roast is going to be a great tribute to Norm and Josh, but there are so many others out there who need support," Robyn Anderson said.
"The next time you see a soldier in uniform, just walk up and say 'Thank you.' Nothing would have made Norm and Josh happier."
E-mail Pat van den Beemt at pvdb@bcpl.net.
Ellie
09/27/07
By Pat van den Beemt
North County residents can't travel too far these days without seeing the names Anderson and Snyder.
Banners advertising an Oct. 12 bull and oyster roast to benefit the Anderson-Snyder Memorial Fund hang by many roads; just recently, smaller signs began appearing in front yards and beside exit ramps from Interstate 83.
It's possible some people don't recognize the names. But it's more likely that people recall a six-week stretch in 2005 when North County lost two of its own.
On Oct. 19, Norman "Wally" Anderson III, a Hereford High School graduate who deployed to Iraq with his Marine Corps unit, was killed by a suicide car bomber. Then, on Nov. 30, Joshua Snyder, who played football with Anderson at Hereford and became his bunkmate at boot camp, died of wounds from small-arms fire.
In memorial services at the high school and at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, the Anderson and Snyder families implored the community not to forget their sons.
North County hasn't.
The first-ever Hereford Parade, in 2006, was dedicated to Anderson and Snyder. Two poker runs -- the most recent attracting 150 motorcyclists -- raised money for scholarships in their names.
Last year, some 1,300 people attended a bull and oyster roast at the state fairgrounds in Timonium, also to raise money for scholarships.
This year's event will be held at Martin's Valley Mansion in Cockeysville, where photos of Norm and Josh -- from boyhood to adulthood -- will be shown on nine screens.
"It's a night where we talk and we laugh, and it's all about good memories," said Robyn Anderson as she and Doris Snyder sat recently at Anderson's kitchen table in White Hall. "Sure, it's an emotional night, but for us, any time people are talking about our sons is a good time."
To this day, she wants to believe that her son will come home, she said.
"That first year, I hoped it was all a mistake and that they needed him for a mission, so they had to pretend he died," she said. "Now that it's almost two years, I know he's not coming home. Some days I can talk about Norm all day long. Others, all I can do is sob."
The past year was harder than the previous one, Snyder said.
"There were so many honors for Josh that first year, it kept me going. I was so proud every time he was honored," she said. "There's more down time this year. More time for his death to really sink in. I have my good days and my bad days, but I'm not sure I've really dealt with it yet."
Anderson's widow, the former Tori Worthing, said she felt numb for a year following the deaths.
"Josh and Norm were more than best friends," she said. "Josh once told me that if Norm didn't come back from Iraq, he didn't want to come back either."
The three shared an apartment near Camp Lejeune, N.C., and Tori and Norm married three weeks before he left for Iraq.
"The way their schedules worked, one was in the field for two weeks while the other was home, " she said. "Norm always counted on Josh to take care of me when he wasn't there."
Although she has moved to Cockeysville and has a boyfriend, Tori said Norm and Josh will always be part of her life, and she will attend the bull and oyster roast.
"It will be hard seeing their smiling faces on the slide show, but the night is all about Norm and Josh and we want people to see how happy they were," she said.
Lance Cpl. Anderson and Cpl. Synder said their presence in Iraq deterred terrorist attacks in America. Today, their families say the United States should not withdraw its forces prematurely.
"To Josh, our country was like our family farm. He would do anything for it," Doris Snyder said. "He said he'd rather fight the enemy over there than over here."
The mothers, who keep in touch with many of their sons' friends from Hereford, as well as Marines from their units, recently broadened the scope of the Anderson-Snyder Memorial Fund to include military families in need.
Previously, money went solely to scholarships -- five, totaling $6,000, so far -- for Hereford High School graduates.
"We think the boys would want us to help their family -- the Marine family," Snyder said. "We haven't given any money to any families yet, but we'd like to."
On their wrists, both women wear camouflage-colored rubber bands stamped with their sons' names. They will sell them Oct. 12 for $3 each, with proceeds going to the memorial fund.
"The bull roast is going to be a great tribute to Norm and Josh, but there are so many others out there who need support," Robyn Anderson said.
"The next time you see a soldier in uniform, just walk up and say 'Thank you.' Nothing would have made Norm and Josh happier."
E-mail Pat van den Beemt at pvdb@bcpl.net.
Ellie