Navy veteran: ‘We never thought we would survive’

“I was 19 years old in 1941. In those days, you didn’t work on Sundays. Nothing was open. It was a special day. So when Pearl Harbor happened, I was so frustrated. How could they attack on a Sunday morning?

“I was so proud of America, and it so bothered me, that I ran right down to the induction center at our post office. I intended to join the Army, but the guy there had gone to lunch. The Navy guy was there, so I joined the Navy instead.

“I served on the U.S.S. Manila Bay. I stayed on that ship all during the war. We were strafed. We were bombed. And we had a kamikaze hit us. The ship survived, but I lost a lot of friends.

“I remember one time when we were under heavy attack. All these planes were coming in, with strafing all around us. One of the planes was only 20 or 30 feet off the water, and he was headed right for my gun mount. That guy was so close, I could make out his goggles. And I thought, dear God, if I die today, I sure was going to hell. Because I believed in hell, this place of torment or whatever. I’d always been a wild kind of a guy. I had done every kind of sin that was named, as well as some that weren’t named. I was really a demon possessed among men. So when I saw that guy coming in, I thought, oh, lord, if you’ll save me, I’ll serve you. I had no idea that you could bargain with God. But I was trying to bargain with him anyway. And just about the time that plane was going to hit, one of our guns got him and he exploded.

“During the war, I never really thought I would come out alive. We were in danger all the time. It was a horrible way to live. We were fighting for survival, but we never thought we would survive.”

— Fred Sneed, 97

A few years after the war, Fred followed through on his promise and joined the ministry. He served in that capacity for more than 50 years.

(Note: Fred Sneed passed away on Aug. 29, 2021.)

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