Page 8 - Florida Sentinel 3-7-17

Neighborhood Meeting
Greenridge And Delaney Creek Association Meeting
Military
Airman Completes Basic Military Training
Greenridge and Delaney Creek monthly association meeting will be held Tues- day, March 7, 2017, at 7 p. m. The meeting is held the first Tuesday of each month at the Emanuel P. Johnson Com- munity Center, 5858 South 78th Street Tampa, 33619.
All concerned residents are invited to attend. Our Mission, “We the residents of Greenridge and Delaney Creek envision a community where people have a strong sense of security and every- one takes pride in where they live.”
Airman First Class Matthew S. Carroll, a na- tive of the Tampa Bay Area, recently completed all re- quirements and graduated from basic military training. The graduation ceremony took place at the Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, in San Antonio, Texas.
Airman First Class Carroll completed an inten- sive eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force Core values, physical
AIRMAN FIRST CLASS MATTHEW S. CARROLL
fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills. He also
earned four credits toward an Associate in Applied Sci- ence Degree through the Community College of the Air Force.
Airman First Class Carroll is the son of Ms. Michelle Carroll, of Tampa, and Timothy Ben- nett, of Lakeland. He gradu- ated from Kathleen High School, in Lakeland in 2013, and continued his education at Hillsborough Community College, where he earned an Associate’s Degree in 2015.
Sailor Traces Roots Back To First Black Commissioned Officer In Army
LT. LEROME SNAER
During the month of Feb- ruary organizations highlight accomplishments of African Americans. The U. S. Navy’s cultural and ethnic diversity gives its sailors additional opportunities to celebrate their history, and knowing the accomplishments of their predecessors, who laid the ground work for their future success.
Last month, Lt. Lerome Snaer shared the findings of his research into his family’s history. He discovered that his great, great, great, grand- father, Major Louis An- toine Snaer became one of the first Black Commissioned Officers in the U. S. Navy.
According to his research, Major Snaer served in the Siege of Port Hudson and the Battle at Fort Blakeley. He also holds the distinction of being the only Black Com- missioned Officer to lead troops into battle on the Fort Blakeley Battlefield.
Lt. Snaer, who is a na- tive of Los Angeles, is as- signed to Commander, U. S. 7th Fleet.
“My family military his-
tory begins with 19-year-old Louis Antoine Snaer, who joined the First Regiment, Company B in the Union Army’s First Louisiana Na- tive Guard as a Commis- sioned Officer.
“In 1864, the regiment was renamed the 73rd Regi- ment Infantry U. S. Colored Troops.”
Lt. Snaer said Major Snaer became a victim of his own success because Black slaves hated him because he was a free Colored Creole who could pass for white and white Union soldiers hated him because they believed free Colored Creoles were “naturally unfit for leader- ship positions.”
During his tenure in the military, Major Snaer en- dured physical beatings, mal- nourishment, lack of shelter and lack of clothing.
After the war, Major Saner moved to California and died in 1917 at the age of 75.
Lt. Snaer is a 20-year member of the U. S. Navy and plans to reach the rank of Admiral before retiring.
PAGE 8 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, MARCH 7, 2017