Texas Tech University

Gary Snead Collection (1393) Finding Aid

Collection Item Number: 13930000000
Collection
Gary Snead Collection
Title
Finding Aid
Pages
1
Language(s)
English
Dates
Creation: 17 August 2004
Other: Majority of material found within 19 August 1968 - 31 December 1969
Scope and Contents
The collection includes hundreds of personal letters from family and friends, including almost 300 letters and 51 audiotape letters between Snead and his fiance/wife, Laura Kathryn 'Kay' Surber. Military administrative documents including original orders, Squadron Bulletins, and other military forms; helicopter flight plans, schedules, logbook excerpts, and workbooks; newspaper articles and clippings; over 500 photographs and slides; artifacts; military newspapers and additional publications document Gary Snead's tour of duty with the Marine Light Helicopter Squadron - 367, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing in Vietnam, August 1968 to August 1969.
Biographical / Historical
Gary Snead was from Friona, Texas and graduated from Abilene Christian College prior to joining the U.S. Marine Corps in 1968. He served as a helicopter pilot with i. Gary and Kay Surber were married March 23, 1969 while on R&R in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Series
1
Books
Guidebook for Marines (1 May 1966)
2
Photographs
VA037405 - VA03742622: photographs
VAN007751-VAN007753: 3 portrait negatives of Gary Snead in uniform
Click to view all Photographs
2
Slides
VAS026267 - VAS026755 - 500+ slides
VAS036286-VAS036289
Click to view all Slides
13
Museum Objects
1393museum1391 Pilot's Kneeboards
1393museum1390 Pilot's Kneeboards
1393museum1392 Leather pistol holster.
1393museum1395 Leather name patch.
1393museum1393 Pilot's map bag.
1393museum1394 CPU-26A/P Computer Air Navigation Device.
1393museum1396 Aluminum watch band calendars (January - August 1969).
1393museum1397 Cloth with an insignia.
1393museum4239 -D209.4--Kodak Slide box
1393museum4237-D209.4-Aluminum slide box
1393museum4238-D2093.4-Aluminum slide box
1393museum4240-D209.4-Slide Box
1393museum4241-D209.4--Slide Box
Click to view all Museum Objects
1
Audio
51 audio tapes of letters to and from Gary Snead and his family
Click to view all Audio
2
Serials
Lockheed Horizons: 1967: July
Marine Corps Gazette: 1969: July
Click to view all Serials
37
Newspapers
Navy Times: 1968: July 24

Pacific Stars & Stripes: 1968: December 9, December 15, December 16, December 18, December 21;

1969: January 5, February 14, February 25, March 1, March 18, March 30, May 8, May 12, May 23, May 28, June 21, June 23, June 24, June 25, June 26, June 27, June 28, July 3, July 5, July 10, August 3, August 9, August 14, August 18

Pacific Stars and Stripes: Sunday Magazine: 1969: January 5

Sea Tiger: 1968: December 13; 1969: February 21, February 28, May 9, June 20, July 11
Click to view all Newspapers
  • Box 1: [Barcode: 1] [TTU - Math Building, 4th Floor, M4.218.2 [M4.218.2]]
  • Box 2: [Barcode: 2] [TTU - Math Building, 4th Floor, M4.210.4 [M4.210.4]]
  • Box 3: [Barcode: 3] [TTU - Math Building, 4th Floor, M4.088.2 [M4.088.2]]
  • Box 1000: [Barcode: 1000] [TTU - Southwest Collections Building, 2nd Floor, Stacks, D054.2 Individual Oversize Box 8 [D054.2]]
  • Sub-Series - Correspondence
  • Box 1
  • Folder 1
  • Letters from Kay Surber to Lt. Gary Snead (month of August 1968)
  • Folder 2
  • Letters from Kay Surber to Lt. Gary Snead (month of September 1968)
  • Folder 3
  • Letters from Kay Surber to Lt. Gary Snead (month of October 1968)
  • Folder 4
  • Letters from Kay Surber to Lt. Gary Snead (month of November 1968)
  • Folder 5
  • Letters from Kay Surber to Lt. Gary Snead (month of December 1968)
  • Folder 6
  • Letters from Kay Surber to Lt. Gary Snead (month of January 1969)
  • Folder 7
  • Letters from Kay Surber to Lt. Gary Snead (month of February 1969)
  • Folder 8
  • Letters from Kay Surber to Lt. Gary Snead (month of March 1969)
  • Folder 9
  • Letters from Kay Snead to Lt. Gary Snead (month of April 1969)
  • Folder 10
  • Letters from Kay Snead to Lt. Gary Snead (month of May 1969)
  • Folder 11
  • Letters from Kay Snead to Lt. Gary Snead (month of June 1969)
  • Folder 12
  • Letters from Kay Snead to Lt. Gary Snead (months of July and August 1969)
  • Folder 13
  • Letters from Lt. Gary Snead to Kay Surber (months of December 1968 and January 1969)
  • Folder 14
  • Letters from Lt. Gary Snead to Kay Surber (months of February and March 1969)
  • Folder 15
  • Letters from Lt. Gary Snead to Kay Snead (month of April 1969)
  • Folder 16
  • Letters from Lt. Gary Snead to Kay Snead (months of May and June 1969)
  • Folder 17
  • Letters from Lt. Gary Snead to Kay Snead (months of July and August 1969)
  • Folder 18
  • Letters from Snead family members in Friona, Texas, to Lt. Gary Snead (months of August and September 1968)
  • Folder 19
  • Letters from Snead family members in Friona, Texas, to Lt. Gary Snead (months of October, November and December 1968)
  • Folder 20
  • Letters from Snead family members in Friona, Texas, to Lt. Gary Snead (months of January, February and March 1969)
  • Folder 21
  • Letters from Snead family members in Friona, Texas, to Lt. Gary Snead (months of April, May and June 1969)
  • Folder 22
  • In-country letters sent to Lt. Gary Snead from various other soldiers (1968 - 1969)
  • Box 2
  • Folder 1
  • Letters from various friends and people to Lt. Gary Snead while he was in Vietnam (months of August and September 1968)
  • Folder 2
  • Letters from various friends and people to Lt. Gary Snead while he was in Vietnam (months of October and November 1968)
  • Folder 3
  • Letters from various friends and people to Lt. Gary Snead while he was in Vietnam (months of December 1968 and January 1969)
  • Folder 4
  • Letters from various friends and people to Lt. Gary Snead while he was in Vietnam (months of February and March 1969)
  • Folder 5
  • Letters from various friends and people to Lt. Gary Snead while he was in Vietnam (month of April 1969)
  • Folder 6
  • Letters from various friends and people to Lt. Gary Snead while he was in Vietnam (month of May, June, July and August 1969. Also, undated cards and letter from January 1970)
  • Folder 7
  • Letters from various people to Kay Surber and Lt. and Mrs. Snead (1969)
  • Folder 8
  • Military orders
  • The Exhorter: published by the Church of Christ, Warrington, Florida (13 March 1967; 2 Sept 1968; 16 Dec 1968; and 14 April 1969)
  • Church programs for Protestant Worship Service (30 March 1969; 18 May 1969; 25 May 1969; 8 June 1969; 15 June 1969)
  • Postcards
  • Folder 9
  • 1967 Worldwide Churches of Christ Directory
  • Naval Gunfire Spotters Handbook
  • International Guarantee booklet for Omega Wristwatches
  • Ten Commandments bookmark
  • Phonetic Alphabet sheet
  • Photocopied sheets from Snead's Aviator's Logbook
  • Folder 10
  • Clippings from newspapers
  • Folder 11
  • Clippings from newspapers
  • Folder 12
  • Contents removed from the Pilot's kneeboards including checklists and hand written notes
  • Folder 13
  • Letters from Lt. Gary Snead to his family in Friona (1967 - 1969)
  • Folder 14
  • Awards citations for Lt. Gary Snead (Air Medal and Vietnamese Gallantry Cross)
  • Folder 15
  • Military Flight Plans
  • Flight Logs
  • Weather maps
  • Folder 16
  • Miscellaneous material (including flight school exams and syllabi)
  • Folder 17
  • Military Orders
  • Folder 18
  • Miscellaneous items pertaining to Snead's service in the Marine Corps
  • Folder 19
  • Aviation School class notes taken by Snead
  • Folder 20
  • The Fighting Third
  • The Face of Vietnam: The Land and the People
  • Vietnam: Battleground of Indecision
  • Hi-Fi Stereo Review (Sept 1968)
  • Southern California Salutes Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton
  • Folder 21
  • Three different copies of Welcome Aboard: Naval Air Basic Training Command, Pensacola, Florida
  • Folder 22
  • Ready Reference Fact on South Vietnam
  • A Personal Message to all US Marines and the Most Important People on Earth
  • 1969 Datebook
  • Shape Up: A New Program of Exercises to Build Fitness Right at Your Desk
  • Graduation Exercises for the Forty-Second Officer Candidate Class, Marine Corps Schools, Quantico, Virginia (16 Dec 1966) program
  • Cypress Gardens, Florida, brochure
  • 4 copies of Home Port, Issued by the Navy Federal Credit Union
  • Air Force Pamphlet: Personal Property Shipping Information (19 Feb 1965)
  • USMC Transfers
  • The Recruit Notebook (Recruit Training Regiment MCRD, San Diego, California, 1962)
  • Folder 23
  • Various notes that accompanied the taped letters
  • Box 3
  • Folder 1
  • Operation of T-28 Radios
  • T-28 Student Engineering Workbook
  • Flight Handbook: Navy Model T-28 Aircraft
  • Folder 2
  • Programmed Text: T-28 Aerodynamics and Lesson Plans Basic (1965)
  • Folder 3
  • T-53 Shaft Turbine Engine for the UH-1E Helicopter
  • Programmed Text Introduction to TACAN (1966)
  • T-34B Engineering Student Workbook (1965)
  • T-34B Aerodynamics Workbook (1965)
  • Power Plants and Accessories Workbook, Naval Flight Preparation School (1966)
  • Folder 4
  • Basic Aerodynamics
  • T-28 Aerodynamics Student Workbook
  • Hand written notes
  • Folder 5
  • Visual Navigation Primary Phase Workbook (1965)
  • Navigation Workbook (1966)
  • Folder 6
  • Aeronautics, Part 1: TH-13M Lesson Plans and Workbook (1967)
  • Aeronautics, Part 3: UH-34G Lesson Plans and Workbook (1967)
  • Folder 7
  • Meteorology Workbook, Primary Phase (1966)
  • Meteorology Basic Workbook (1966)
  • Meteorology: Review of Basic Meteorology, Phase 2 (1967)
  • Box 1000
  • Folder 1
  • Oversize material
  • Newspaper clippings
Perma Link
https://www.vietnam.ttu.edu/virtualarchive/items.php?item=13930000000
Citation
Gary Snead Collection (1393) Finding Aid, Gary Snead Collection, Vietnam Center and Sam Johnson Vietnam Archive, Texas Tech University, https://www.vietnam.ttu.edu/virtualarchive/items.php?item=13930000000, Accessed 08 Feb 2026.
Pub Credit Line
13930000000, Gary Snead Collection, Vietnam Center and Sam Johnson Vietnam Archive, Texas Tech University
Added: 16 Aug 2004 [Updated: 10 Dec 2025]

Vietnam Center & Sam Johnson Vietnam Archive

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