“I had nothing to do here in Marshalltown, so I left. I went with a buddy on the buddy program. He actually stayed in for 22 years. He retired from the Marine Corps,” Snyder noted.

His first stop was Fort Knox, Kentucky training on M60A1 tanks. Then he was sent to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. His first experience traveling abroad took him to Okinawa, a Japanese island considered an important location for the United States Armed Forces since World War II. About a month later, in September 1990, he was put on a ship for Saudi Arabia — a journey that took 30 days by sea.

“The ship carried tanks and crew,” he noted. “I was over in Desert Storm for a little over a year.”

Snyder found himself in the early stages of the Gulf War, fighting against Iraqi forces. Just a month prior, Saddam Hussein had invaded Kuwait, fully occupying the country. Pen pals and care packages from people back home helped Snyder get through some of the darker days of the war.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS — Tom Snyder of Marshalltown, second from right, is pictured with fellow Marines during his deployment to the Middle East during the first Gulf War.

“We went in, we set up perimeters — sitting outside of Kuwait — waiting to go in. Then our battalion task force Papa Bear surrounded the Kuwaiti International Airport. So once we had that perimeter secured, they could use the airport to fly stuff in,” he explained of the mission.

The Battle of Kuwait International Airport was the biggest tank battle in US Marine Corps history. According to the National Desert Storm War Memorial, “The Battle of Kuwait International Airport occurred on February 27, 1991, and it’s famed for the sheer number of servicemen who participated. The US Marine Corps was represented by the 1st and 2nd Marine Divisions, and the 4th Tank Battalion and the 4th Marine Division also took part. The US Army was represented by the 2nd Armored Division’s Tiger Brigade, the 41st Infantry’s Straight and Stalwart Battalion Task Force and the 1-3 Field Artillery Battalion. The Special Forces, also known as the Green Berets, also took part, clearing the airport of enemy snipers and resistance fighters.”

Snyder said the conflict was short-lived, but it still took months to return stateside.

“That war was the end of all land wars. It’s all bombs now, big planes. There are a lot of drones, missiles and bombs now,” he said.

Back in the U.S., he returned to Camp Pendleton and retrained on the new M1A1 Abrams.

“Then I went to 29 Palms for my last little over a year left in the military,” he added.

The Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center (MCAGCC), also called 29 Palms, is the biggest United States Marine Corps base.

Snyder left the military on June 5, 1993. In 1998, he married Aimee Deimerly, and the couple has three sons. He has been employed at Lennox for nearly 31 years. Lillie Mae is celebrating 85 years in business.

“With him being a veteran, we’re always interested in veteran causes,” said wife Aimee. “So last year, we sold a bunch of the thank you bags for vets at the vets home. But we felt kind of bad that everybody didn’t get one. So this year, we’re going to really challenge our customers to help us get a bag for everybody. We also donate a portion of every bag sold to the vets home.”

The bags will be available starting November 1.

Aimee Deimerly-Snyder said she’s enjoyed hearing her husband’s stories through the years about his service in the Middle East. She also likes seeing him interact with his friends.

“Whenever there’s a room full of veterans, you always can pick the Marines out right away, because they really do have a different kind of brotherhood, being Marines,” she said.

Snyder said he has received good care through Veterans Affairs and also helps get people to doctors’ appointments.

“I’ve been to the Marshalltown VA and the one in Des Moines,” he said. “They’re both class acts.”