Staff Sgt. Joshua Michael Snowden, a flight engineer killed July 10 in a military plane crash, will be laid to rest after a funeral Friday morning.
Snowden was among 16 crew members on a KC-130 that crashed while flying over a soybean field north of Jackson, Mississippi. The crash, which remains under investigation, killed everyone on board.
Snowden would have turned 32-years-old July 22, his family said.
Snowden's body arrived at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport at about 1:30 p.m. Wednesday afternoon.
After his arrival, Snowden was driven to the Sparkman/Hillcrest Funeral home while being escorted by the Patriot Guard Riders. The riders will also accompany Snowden on his ride to the cemetery Friday and will stand in a flag line at his interment service.
Though he was born Abilene in 1985, Snowden's family eventually moved to Dallas where he attended Highland Park High School and played lacrosse.
After graduation he enlisted in the Marine Corps. He'd go on to to graduate from Texas State University in 2010, where he also played lacrosse. He returned to active duty in 2012.
"Snowden, or simply 'Snow' by all who knew him, was a man who loved God, his family and friends, and his country. He was an avid lover of Texas Country music, grilling steaks, and working on his truck all at the same time whenever possible," according to his obituary on Legacy.com.
Snowden's funeral is scheduled for 11 a.m. Friday at the Church of the Incarnation in Dallas. He will be buried at the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery at 2:45 p.m. Friday.
