USO dedicates new outdoor pavilion at Atterbury

Camp Atterbury Indiana
Story by Sgt. 1st Class Matt Scotten

Date: 08.08.2014
Posted: 08.08.2014 15:14
News ID: 138775

EDINBURGH, Ind. - When Susan Schneider passed away in 2012 at the age of 56, she left behind not only a loving family, but a legacy of selfless service and dedication to America’s fighting men and women.

She served for several years in the Indiana National Guard as a nurse, and later as a volunteer with the USO of Indiana. Her unyielding dedication to the welfare of service members was memorialized Aug. 8, 2014, when money she donated to the USO in her will was used to construct and outdoor pavilion for service members at Atterbury to enjoy for years to come.

“This dedication is a constant reminder that we have someone looking after us,” said Jim Pridgen president and CEO of the USO of Indiana. “I looked at her as a mentor. She was someone who loved the service members, loved the volunteers, and loved to make things better.”

It is fitting that the money she donated be used to build the pavilion, as creating an outdoor entertainment area was something she had often hoped to accomplish.

According to her husband, Dr. John Schneider, she was never one to leave things unfinished once she set her mind to accomplishing a goal.

“I remember one time Sue wanted to get some Pacers tickets for some Soldiers deploying through Atterbury. The Pacers said they didn’t have available for that game, though. We were at the field house a few days later and happened to see Larry Bird. She looked at me and said, ‘I’ll be right back,’ and long story short, when she came back, she had 200 tickets for the Soldiers,” said John. “She just always accomplished what she set out to do. This, today, is just another thing she wanted to accomplish.”

When she passed, Susan was survived by her husband John and her two sons, Christopher and Matt. Now, she is memorialized in what she managed to accomplish from even beyond the grave, and the fruits of her labors will be enjoyed for years to come by every Soldier who steps foot in the Atterbury USO.