John Edward Snead II was born at Guntersville, Marshall County, Alabama, on January 2, 1920. His parents were John Edward Snead I (1890 – 30 Jan 1967) and Lena (Phillips) Snead (11 Dec 1892 – 15 Sep 1968), who were born in Alabama. His parents married at Guntersville, Alabama on November 21, 1917.

He completed one year of college and worked as a semiskilled mining machine operator. He was single, without dependents, when he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps at Fort McPherson, Georgia on November 12, 1941. His home of record was 285 North 54th Street, Birmingham, Jefferson County, Alabama, his father's address in 1944. He married Mary Ethel (Morgan) Snead (4 Apr 1923 – 23 Feb 1999) at Birmingham, Jefferson County, Alabama on July 4, 1942. At that time he was assigned to the 79th Bomb Squadron at Cunningham Field, Cherry Point, North Carolina. John and Mary Snead had a son, John Edward Snead III (12 Nov 1944 – 9 Mar 1971), who was born about five months after his father's death.

On November 29, 1942 the 79th Bomb Squadron (Medium) of the 45th Bomb Group was designated the 8th Antisubmarine Squadron (Heavy) of the 26th Antisubmarine Wing. The 26th Antisubmarine Wing was headquartered at Miami, Florida. Its Squadrons flew B-24 antisubmarine patrols from bases at Miami, Florida; Havana, Cuba; Borinquen Field, Puerto Rico; Waller Field, Trinidad; Atkinson Field, British Guyana; Zandery Field, Suriname; Brazil (Belem, Fortaleza, and Natal); and Wideawake Field, Ascension Island.

On October 1, 1943 the 8th Antisubmarine Squadron was designated the 839th Bomb Squadron, and was assigned to the newly formed 487th Bomb Group. The Squadron moved temporarily to Pueblo, Colorado, and on November 17, 1943 moved to the 487th Bomb Group's base at Bruning Army Air Base, Nebraska. In December 1943 the 839th Bomb Squadron moved with the 487th Bomb Group to Alamogordo Army Air Base, New Mexico. At Alamogordo some of the veterans of antisubmarine patrol were assigned to the other three Squadrons in the Group. T/Sgt Snead, then a rated aerial gunner and flight engineer, was assigned to the heavy bomber crew of Lt Joseph S. Van Dyke in the 836th Bomb Squadron of the 487th Bomb Group.

The Van Dyke crew completed B-24 crew training with the 487th Bomb Group at Alamogordo, and deployed with the Group to England in March 1944. The crew flew B-24H 41-28822 via the southern Atlantic ferry route—a journey of about 10,000 miles—and arrived in England by mid-April 1944. The 487th Bomb Group was based at Army Air Forces Station 137 near Lavenham, Suffolk, England, and was part of the 8th U.S. Army Air Force in Europe.

T/Sgt Snead and his eight crewmates were killed in action on June 23, 1944, when their aircraft, B-24H 41-28822, was shot down near Brussels, Belgium after bombing an airfield at Juvincourt, France. The aircraft was hit by flak in the open bomb bay and exploded in the air. It fell in pieces in the meadow of Scheutbos near the intersection of Kasterlindenstraat (Rue Kasterninden) and Palokestraat (Rue Paloke).

He was buried initially at Evere Cemetery in Brussels, Belgium. After the war, his remains were reinterred at Ardennes American Cemetery, Belgium.

B-24H 41-28822 crew:
• Van Dyke, Joseph S – 2/Lt – Pilot – KIA
• Thies, Merle J – 2/Lt – Copilot – KIA
• Zebora, Rudolph J – 2/Lt – Navigator – KIA
• Kraus, Leslie E – S/Sgt – Radio Operator – KIA
• Glenn, James R – Sgt – Ball Turret – KIA
• Crossley, Charles H – S/Sgt – Top Turret – KIA
• Spindler, William H – Sgt – Tail Turret – KIA
• Rupe, Bradford A – Sgt – Nose Turret – KIA
• Snead, John E – T/Sgt – Engineer – KIA

Source of information: Paul M. Webber, www.findagrave.com