Army Spc. Jesse A. Snow

Remember Our Heroes

Army Spc. Jesse A. Snow, 25, of Fairborn, Ohio

Spc. Snow was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.; died Nov. 14, 2010 in Kunar province, Afghanistan, when insurgents attacked his unit with small arms fire.

Spc. Jesse A. Snow, the Fairborn High School graduate and Army soldier killed in Afghanistan, died along with four other soldiers in a fire fight in Kunar province, the U.S. Defense Department said Wednesday.

All four were attacked Nov. 14 by insurgents using small arms fire, the defense department said.

The remains of the 25-year-old, flown late Tuesday to Dover (Del.) Air Force Base from the Middle East, will remain at the base several more days before he is returned to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in a military aircraft.

Snow was an infantryman who joined the Army in April 2009 and arrived at Fort Campbell, Ky., in August 2009. His awards and decorations include the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the NATO Medal and Combat Infantryman Badge.

Snow’s brothers, John Jr. and Alex, flew with their father to see the dignified transfer of remains — soldiers carrying the flag-draped transfer case off a military plane and into a mortuary transport vehicle.

Alex Snow said he was told by military officials that Jesse Snow’s body will stay at Dover AFB four to seven more days. John Jr. and Alex have requested to return to Dover to escort their brother home.

Alex said Jesse, a 2003 Fairborn graduate, was nearing a scheduled stint on R&R when he died.

Major Tony Rulli with Fairborn High School’s ROTC program spoke about Jesse:
He was quiet, but he always worked hard for me and he always tried to do the right thing. I could see Jesse serving his country.

Rulli said Jesse Snow is the son of Senior Master Sgt. John Snow, who served at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, and that the family has several military members. I would say it’s a patriotic family.

Jesse's brother, John W. Snow, released this statement:

Jesse Adam Snow is a beloved son, brother, and uncle. He is by far the most caring and selfless man I know. He wanted nothing more than to do what was right for his country. Jesse said he had witnessed evil. He stressed the importance of our role in Afghanistan. He accepted what could possibly be his fate in the hope of making the world a safer place to live.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to his fellow soldiers of the 101st Airborne and all other US Military forces. There will forever be a painful void in our lives. We only hope that his noble sacrifice will never be forgotten and not have been in vain.

Another of Jesse's brothers, Alex Snow who is an Army ROTC cadet battalion commander who plans to graduate next year from Wright State University, shared his thoughts on the sacrifices Spc. Jesse Snow made for his country.

My big brother Spc. Jesse Adam Snow is the most courageous man I have ever met and the best brother I could ever ask for.

He loved his family and equally loved the soldiers who he served with. He took pride in being with the 101st Airborne Division and serving with soldiers of the highest caliber.

Family, friends and fellow soldiers posted condolences on Facebook regarding Snow, Lillard and Nagorski, who were part of Operation Enduring Freedom.

One post called the trio “brave and heroic.”

Funeral arrangements are pending, but Fairborn Homewood Suites has announced that it will donate 10 hotel rooms for three nights apiece to out-of-town family visiting for Snow’s funeral. Similarly, the Ramada Fairborn has offered 15 rooms for three nights apiece for friends and family, officials there said.

Snow is survived by his parents, John W. Snow Sr. and Janice Snow of Fairborn, and siblings.

Army Spc. Jesse A. Snow was killed in action on 11/14/10.