Col. Harold Snow

Col. Harold “Hank” Snow, age 93, of 35 Beechwood Drive, Saranac Lake, died Tuesday, November 08, 2016 following a long illness.

Born in AuSable Forks, New York on September 23, 1923, he was the son of Joel and Shirley (Felio) Snow. Hank married Ann Elizabeth Pandolph on October 13, 1984 at the Plattsburgh Air Force Base.

Hank attended AuSable Forks High School and graduated in 1941. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve on May 15, 1942, and entered the Aviation Cadet Program of the U.S. Army Air Forces on October 28, 1942. He was commissioned a 2nd Lt in the Army Air Forces and was awarded his pilot wings on October 1, 1943, at Luke Field, Arizona. Lt. Snow completed ground training at Dale Mabry Field, Florida, from October to November 1943, and then P-40 Warhawk transition training at Sarasota, Florida, from November 1943 to January 1944.

His next assignment was as a P-40, A-36 Apache, and P-51 Mustang pilot with the 528th Fighter Squadron in India and then China from February 1944 to August 1945, followed by service as a pilot with the 3028th Base Unit at Luke Field, Arizona, from November 1945 to February 1946.

Capt. Snow left active duty on March 24, 1946, and was recalled into the U.S. Air Force on November 20, 1950. He attended Aircraft Controller School at Tyndall AFB, Florida, from December 1950 to February 1951, and then served as an F-86 Sabre pilot with the 63rd Fighter Interceptor Squadron and the 56th Air Base Group at Selfridge AFB, Michigan, from February to November 1951. His next assignment was with the 30th Air Division at Selfridge AFB from December 1951 to April 1952, followed by F-51 Mustang training with the 127th Pilot Training Wing at Selfridge from May to August 1952. Capt Snow served as an F-51 and F-86 pilot with the 67th Fighter Bomber Squadron in South Korea from September 1952 to June 1953, and then as an instructor with the 3525th Aircraft Gunnery Squadron at Nellis AFB, Nevada, from July 1953 to May 1954.

His next assignment was as an intercept controller, operations officer, and air operations officer with the 3555th Combat Crew Training Squadron at Perrin AFB, Texas, from May 1954 to May 1956, followed by service as Commander of the 3556th Combat Crew Training Squadron and then the 3556th Flying Training Squadron at Perrin AFB from June 1956 to March 1959. Maj. Snow served as Assistant Director of Operations of the 3555th Flying Training Wing at Perrin AFB from March to September 1959, and then attended Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell AFB, Alabama, from September 1959 to July 1960.

His next assignment was as an operations staff officer, as Chief of the Air Defense Control Center, and then as Director of Combat Operations with the 326th Air Division at Wheeler AFB, Hawaii, from July 1960 to August 1963, followed by service as an F-100 Super Sabre pilot and stand/eval officer for the 354th Tactical Fighter Wing at Myrtle Beach AFB, South Carolina, from August to November 1963. He served as Operations Officer and then Commander of the 356th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Myrtle Beach AFB from November 1963 to April 1965, and then as an O-1 Bird Dog pilot and as an Air Force Liaison Officer for the 173rd Airborne Brigade in South Vietnam from August 1965 to August 1966.

Lt Col Snow next served with Headquarters U.S. Air Force in the Pentagon from September 1966 to April 1968, followed by F-105 Thunderchief Combat Crew Training from May 1968 to May 1969. He served as Deputy Commander of the 355th Tactical Fighter Wing at Takhli Royal Thai AFB, Thailand, from June 1969 to June 1970, and then as Deputy Commander of the 401st Tactical Fighter Wing at Torrejon AB, Spain, from September 1970 until his retirement from the Air Force on August 1, 1972.

During his combat in three wars, Col Snow flew 1,332 combat hours on 666 combat missions, and made 1 combat parachute jump while serving as an Air Liaison Officer with the Army in 1966. He also accumulated 5,436 flying hours during his military career, as well as 7,679 hours of flying civilian aircraft.

He received numerous citations including six (6) Distinguished Flying Cross Citations, a Bronze Star and 24 Air Commendation Medals.

His 6th distinguished flying cross Citation reads: Colonel Harold S. Snow distinguished himself by extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as an F-105 Thunderchief pilot in Southeast Asia on 23 April 1970. On that date Col. Snow led a flight of four F-105 Thunderchiefs in an attack upon a heavily defended interdiction point and petroleum storage area along a hostile infiltration route. Despite intense and accurate antiaircraft artillery fire Col. Snow directed repeated bombing and strafing attacks with 100% of ordnance delivered on target, resulting in the closure of a key road segment and the destruction of a great petroleum storage cache vital to hostile forces. The professional competence, aerial skill, and devotion to duty displayed by Col. Snow reflect great credit upon himself and the United States Air Force.

After retiring from the Air Force, Hank continued his career as a private pilot. He was a certified flight instructor for single and multi-engine land aircraft to include Instruments (1972-1999). He was also an air show stunt Pilot (J-3 Cub & Pitts Special) - low level aerobatics; car-top landings and a fly-through house act (1974-1984). Hank was FAA certified for FAR-135 Operations (Air Taxi) (1972-1992). He also was the President/Chief Pilot - North Country Aviation, Inc. and Aerial Photography operating from Adirondack Airport, Saranac Lake, NY until his retirement in October 1999. Hank was a member of the American Legion, MOAA (Military Officers Association of America) EAA, Air Force Association and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.

He is survived by his wife Ann E. Snow, five children Susan Rendsberg, Lorraine St. Denis, Joel Snow, Tamara Pandolph-Peary and Thomas D. Pandolph, 5 grandchildren Joshua St. Denis, Ashley Hermsen, Kayleigh Pandolph, Alexander and Christopher Peary, Landon and Gracen Pandolph, 4 great grandchildren and nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by one son Terry Lee Snow, one grandson Alexander Turner and one brother Joel Hobart “Hobie” Snow.

Funeral arrangements are in care of the Fortune-Keough Funeral Home in Saranac Lake. There will be no calling hours. A memorial service will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday November 19, 2016 at the First United Methodist Church in Saranac Lake, with Rev. Wilbert Gamble officiating. Interment will take place in AuSable Forks at a later date.

Friends wishing to remember Col. Harold Sidney Snow may make memorial contributions to Saranac Lake Free Library or Distinguished Flying Cross Society Scholarship Fund in care of the funeral home. Family and friends can also share their memories and sign the online guestbook at fortunekeoughfuneralhome.com.

Air Force

The insignias listed here may be subject to copyright and / or trademarked. Those copyrights and trademarks are owned by the respective organizations.