Local hero's legacy
DEVIN WEEKS/Press Gary Schneidmiller, son of Col. Manuel “Manny” Schneidmiller, speaks at the American Legion’s 100th anniversary event in Evergreen Cemetery in Post Falls on Saturday.
A display honoring Col. Manuel Schneidmiller shows a young war hero and details of his service and life. He was honored Saturday during the American Legion Post 154’s 100th anniversary event in Evergreen Cemetery, where Schneidmiller is interred. (DEVIN WEEKS/Press)
POST FALLS — Old Glory and the flags of the U.S. military branches gently waved in the breeze as the warm Saturday morning sun beamed on Evergreen Cemetery in Post Falls.
The American Legion, the nation’s largest wartime veterans service organization, is celebrating its 100th anniversary since it was chartered and incorporated by Congress in 1919.
To commemorate this centennial milestone, representatives of the American Legion Manuel Schneidmiller Post 154 in Rathdrum held a ceremony to honor the Post’s namesake, World War II hero Col. Manuel “Manny” Schneidmiller, in the cemetery where he was laid to rest after his death in 1997.
Post Commander Dee Sasse recognized Schneidmiller’s son Gary, who was in attendance, and the whole Schneidmiller family for all they have done and continue to do for their community.
“They have long supported the young and old, whether it is for our students or for the end-of-life care, whether it’s for the veterans or for the Washington State University. Go Cougs,” she said. “The Schneidmiller family has been there to help and support.”
Len Crosby, a Purple Heart recipient, Vietnam War veteran and Post 154 member, shared some of Manuel’s personal and military history — he was the ninth of 12 children, he graduated from Washington State University and he was commissioned as a Marine second lieutenant and served as an officer in the Second Amphibian Tractor Battalion, an organic unit of the 2nd Marine Division.
“Col. Schneidmiller was awarded the Bronze Star for heroism, the Purple Heart for wounds received in combat, a Marine Corps Presidential Unit Citation, the American Service medal, the American Campaign medal and the Asiatic Pacific Campaign medal” noting his participation in combat amphibious landings, Crosby said. “He was also awarded the WWII Victory medal and was discharged at Farragut in 1946 and continued to serve in the Marine Corps Reserve and retired as a lieutenant colonel.”
Manuel became a successful grass seed farmer on the Rathdrum Prairie and he and his wife, Gladys, went on to be incredibly involved in the community — they donated land for parks, schools and hospitals, they both served on the Kootenai Health board, were founding members of the Kootenai Health Foundation and served on other boards and gave back to their community in many ways.
Crosby gestured to a red, white and blue floral wreath beside him.
“We are proud to honor Col. Schneidmiller’s legacy with this wreath as part of our 100th anniversary celebration of the American Legion,” he said.
Sasse thanked the Schneidmiller family for allowing the Post to honor Manuel as its namesake.
“I’d like to, on behalf of my dad, say thank you. I know he would be appreciative. He would be thankful. He’d be humbled. And he’d be way embarrassed,” Gary said, smiling as a few chuckles could be heard from the small crowd at the Evergreen veterans memorial.
“When the ask came, I think it was from Len to my mom and I as to whether or not it would be OK to use his name. She looked at me and said, ‘You know he would not like this,’ and the first words out of his mouth probably would have been, ‘Let’s find someone who’s more deserving than me,’" Gary said. "But I know he would be most appreciative of what has happened."