Walter Snowdon Smith III, of Saratoga Springs, died on May 12, 2006, at Wesley Health Care Center after an extended illness. He was born on February 18, 1916, into a prominent Syracuse, NY, family. His parents were Martha Williamson Smith and Walter Snowdon Smith Jr. He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Sanders Smith, whom he married in October 1941; also by his children, Tracey Smith Harris and husband, Richard G. Harris, of Glenville, Elizabeth Brooke Smith of Saratoga Springs, Jerome Snowdon Smith of Oswego; five grandchildren: Paige Chamberlain de Santis of Framingham, MA, Kristin Harris Hoblock of Loudenville, Geoffrey Snowdon Chamberlain of Manchester Center, VT, Blair Chamberlain Brownlee of Manchester Center, VT, and R. Gregory Harris Jr. of Saratoga Springs; five great-grandchildren; and a brother, W. Hampton Smith, or Dowling Park, Florida. Snowdon attended Pebble Hill Country Day School and The Westminster School of Simsbury, CT. In 1939 he received his B.S. degree from Syracuse University, where he participated in football, baseball and boxing.
He joined the Army Air Corps as a Flying Cadet in 1940, earning his wings at Kelly Field, TX. In December 1941 he volunteered for a secret mission to photograph Japanese mandated islands in the South Pacific, The plane was B-24A #40-2371. Smith was co-pilot, he and his crew belonged to the 88th reconnaissance Squadron. Problems were encountered in installing the machine guns and the aircraft was still there on the morning of 7 December. That morning, Smith and his crew were at hangar 15 preparing their plane for a short check flight before leaving on the next stage of their journey when the Japanese attack began. A bomb hit the hangar, injuring Smith and three more of the crew, and killing two. Smith lost his leg in the bombing of Pearl Harbor and he was later awarded the Purple Heart.
After two years of recuperation at Letterman General Hospital in San Francisco, he returned to active duty in the Pacific until the end of World War II. Smith began his civilian career as a metallurgist with Crucible Steel in Syracuse. In 1946 he was elected to three terms as County Clerk of Onondaga County, serving as president of the New York State Association of County Clerks in 1953. During his tenure in an effort to improve outdated prosthetics technology, he formed a committee representing the 12 other Onondaga County World War II amputees. With influential representatives from local organizations, including Red Cross, physicians and military, he met with then-president Harry Truman, who helped further their cause. In 1954 he earned his LLB degree from Syracuse University College of Law. In 1963 Snowdon attended Northwestern University and UCLA, receiving certification as a prosthetist. In 1972 he and his wife moved to North Eastham, Cape Cod, establishing The Wildfowlers, a wildfowl art and antiques gallery, and in 1984 they moved to Saratoga Springs. Snowdon will be interred with military honors at Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery in a private family service.
Friends and family had several nick names for Smith, including 'Smitty', 'Snowd' and 'Snowdn'.
He joined the Army Air Corps as a Flying Cadet in 1940, earning his wings at Kelly Field, TX. In December 1941 he volunteered for a secret mission to photograph Japanese mandated islands in the South Pacific, The plane was B-24A #40-2371. Smith was co-pilot, he and his crew belonged to the 88th reconnaissance Squadron. Problems were encountered in installing the machine guns and the aircraft was still there on the morning of 7 December. That morning, Smith and his crew were at hangar 15 preparing their plane for a short check flight before leaving on the next stage of their journey when the Japanese attack began. A bomb hit the hangar, injuring Smith and three more of the crew, and killing two. Smith lost his leg in the bombing of Pearl Harbor and he was later awarded the Purple Heart.
After two years of recuperation at Letterman General Hospital in San Francisco, he returned to active duty in the Pacific until the end of World War II. Smith began his civilian career as a metallurgist with Crucible Steel in Syracuse. In 1946 he was elected to three terms as County Clerk of Onondaga County, serving as president of the New York State Association of County Clerks in 1953. During his tenure in an effort to improve outdated prosthetics technology, he formed a committee representing the 12 other Onondaga County World War II amputees. With influential representatives from local organizations, including Red Cross, physicians and military, he met with then-president Harry Truman, who helped further their cause. In 1954 he earned his LLB degree from Syracuse University College of Law. In 1963 Snowdon attended Northwestern University and UCLA, receiving certification as a prosthetist. In 1972 he and his wife moved to North Eastham, Cape Cod, establishing The Wildfowlers, a wildfowl art and antiques gallery, and in 1984 they moved to Saratoga Springs. Snowdon will be interred with military honors at Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery in a private family service.
Friends and family had several nick names for Smith, including 'Smitty', 'Snowd' and 'Snowdn'.
Walter Snowdon Smith III, of Saratoga Springs, died on May 12, 2006, at Wesley Health Care Center after an extended illness. He was born on February 18, 1916, into a prominent Syracuse, NY, family. His parents were Martha Williamson Smith and Walter Snowdon Smith Jr. He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Sanders Smith, whom he married in October 1941; also by his children, Tracey Smith Harris and husband, Richard G. Harris, of Glenville, Elizabeth Brooke Smith of Saratoga Springs, Jerome Snowdon Smith of Oswego; five grandchildren: Paige Chamberlain de Santis of Framingham, MA, Kristin Harris Hoblock of Loudenville, Geoffrey Snowdon Chamberlain of Manchester Center, VT, Blair Chamberlain Brownlee of Manchester Center, VT, and R. Gregory Harris Jr. of Saratoga Springs; five great-grandchildren; and a brother, W. Hampton Smith, or Dowling Park, Florida. Snowdon attended Pebble Hill Country Day School and The Westminster School of Simsbury, CT. In 1939 he received his B.S. degree from Syracuse University, where he participated in football, baseball and boxing.
He joined the Army Air Corps as a Flying Cadet in 1940, earning his wings at Kelly Field, TX. In December 1941 he volunteered for a secret mission to photograph Japanese mandated islands in the South Pacific, The plane was B-24A #40-2371. Smith was co-pilot, he and his crew belonged to the 88th reconnaissance Squadron. Problems were encountered in installing the machine guns and the aircraft was still there on the morning of 7 December. That morning, Smith and his crew were at hangar 15 preparing their plane for a short check flight before leaving on the next stage of their journey when the Japanese attack began. A bomb hit the hangar, injuring Smith and three more of the crew, and killing two. Smith lost his leg in the bombing of Pearl Harbor and he was later awarded the Purple Heart.
After two years of recuperation at Letterman General Hospital in San Francisco, he returned to active duty in the Pacific until the end of World War II. Smith began his civilian career as a metallurgist with Crucible Steel in Syracuse. In 1946 he was elected to three terms as County Clerk of Onondaga County, serving as president of the New York State Association of County Clerks in 1953. During his tenure in an effort to improve outdated prosthetics technology, he formed a committee representing the 12 other Onondaga County World War II amputees. With influential representatives from local organizations, including Red Cross, physicians and military, he met with then-president Harry Truman, who helped further their cause. In 1954 he earned his LLB degree from Syracuse University College of Law. In 1963 Snowdon attended Northwestern University and UCLA, receiving certification as a prosthetist. In 1972 he and his wife moved to North Eastham, Cape Cod, establishing The Wildfowlers, a wildfowl art and antiques gallery, and in 1984 they moved to Saratoga Springs. Snowdon will be interred with military honors at Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery in a private family service.
Friends and family had several nick names for Smith, including 'Smitty', 'Snowd' and 'Snowdn'.
He joined the Army Air Corps as a Flying Cadet in 1940, earning his wings at Kelly Field, TX. In December 1941 he volunteered for a secret mission to photograph Japanese mandated islands in the South Pacific, The plane was B-24A #40-2371. Smith was co-pilot, he and his crew belonged to the 88th reconnaissance Squadron. Problems were encountered in installing the machine guns and the aircraft was still there on the morning of 7 December. That morning, Smith and his crew were at hangar 15 preparing their plane for a short check flight before leaving on the next stage of their journey when the Japanese attack began. A bomb hit the hangar, injuring Smith and three more of the crew, and killing two. Smith lost his leg in the bombing of Pearl Harbor and he was later awarded the Purple Heart.
After two years of recuperation at Letterman General Hospital in San Francisco, he returned to active duty in the Pacific until the end of World War II. Smith began his civilian career as a metallurgist with Crucible Steel in Syracuse. In 1946 he was elected to three terms as County Clerk of Onondaga County, serving as president of the New York State Association of County Clerks in 1953. During his tenure in an effort to improve outdated prosthetics technology, he formed a committee representing the 12 other Onondaga County World War II amputees. With influential representatives from local organizations, including Red Cross, physicians and military, he met with then-president Harry Truman, who helped further their cause. In 1954 he earned his LLB degree from Syracuse University College of Law. In 1963 Snowdon attended Northwestern University and UCLA, receiving certification as a prosthetist. In 1972 he and his wife moved to North Eastham, Cape Cod, establishing The Wildfowlers, a wildfowl art and antiques gallery, and in 1984 they moved to Saratoga Springs. Snowdon will be interred with military honors at Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery in a private family service.
Friends and family had several nick names for Smith, including 'Smitty', 'Snowd' and 'Snowdn'.
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