Photo By Andrew Davis | U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Antwaun S. Snipe, 8th Logistics Readiness Squadron...... read more read more
Subscribe
KUNSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea—The old saying ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’ recently proved to be true for Senior Airman Antwaun Snipe, an 8th Logistics Readiness Squadron logistician. After spending the past 11 months at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea and thousands of miles away from his loved ones, he orchestrated a plan to show the world just how much his love had grown for one special lady.
With the help of the American Red Cross and the Today Show, Snipe flew from Korea to surprise his girlfriend of four and a half years, Dommonique Salley, with a proposal during the 50th Anniversary of the U.S. Open Tennis Championships on Sept. 3, 2018, at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flourish Meadows, New York.
“I was thinking about it for a long time, and had an idea of what I wanted to do,” Snipe said. “Then a friend of mine shared an American Red Cross opportunity that I liked even better, and one I knew my girlfriend would love.”
Upon learning of the opportunity, Snipe submitted an application to propose to his girlfriend during the 2018 U.S. Open Tennis Championships on the Today Show; and he was selected.
The American Red Cross asked Salley to travel to New York to represent Snipe, in his absence, for the U.S. Open’s 7th Annual Military Appreciation Day. She agreed but was completely unaware that Snipe was in the same arena as her.
“While her attention was turned to a video featuring me on a screen at the stadium, I walked right behind her, tapped her on the shoulder, and got down on one knee,” Snipe said. “I wasn’t nervous about any of it; because I was confident I was making the best decision.”
While his proposal was something one usually only sees happen in the movies, Snipe said that meeting Sally was a lot more natural.
“We met in a math class when I was in the 11th grade and she was in the 10th grade,” said Snipe. “We developed a close friendship and even went to my senior prom as friends”.
After high school, Snipe and Salley lost contact when he entered the U.S. Air Force in 2012; but they reconnected by chance at a concert in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2014.
“Prior to the gospel concert, we had not spoken for almost 2 years,” Snipe said. “We were completely surprised and excited to have ran into each other at the concert, and exchanged numbers.”
After a few weeks, Snipe and Salley acknowledged their newfound feelings for each other, and decided to start dating long-distance, said Snipe.
“There were calls, text messages, and FaceTime, but her prayers and words of affirmation mattered the most,” Snipe said. “She constantly communicated her appreciation for the sacrifices I made for us and the country. She would pray in the mornings for my days to ensure I had a good week. The consistency as a whole made our relationship stronger, because I knew I could count on her for support.”
After a successful and exciting engagement, Snipe will spend a week with his family then return to the Kunsan AB to complete his one-year tour. He admits returning from leave without his new fiancée will be challenging but he feels confident in maintaining his long distance relationship.
“Communication and dedication was and is the key,” Snipe said. “It won’t be easy, but you have to be faithful to the commitment that you’ve decided to make. And as cliché as it might sound, have integrity. It’ll keep you doing the right things, even if no one else is watching.”
Snipe and Salley plan to get married during the spring of 2019 in Charleston, South Carolina, where it all began.
| Date Taken: | 09.13.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 09.13.2018 03:46 |
| Story ID: | 292542 |
| Location: | FLOURISH MEADOWS, NY, US |
| Web Views: | 181 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Wolf Pack Airman proposes at 2018 U.S. Open, by SSgt Savannah Waters, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT