I Do Solemnly Swear: Signed Corporal Charlie Sneed Junior

When I first began my journey as an employee of the United States federal government, there was an oath that I was required to repeat verbally on the first day. Also, there was a form I had to sign as a written attestation to the vows that I had previously spoken.

“I, the undersigned, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.”[1]

[1] Appointment Affidavit, U.S. General Services Administration, 2002, https://www.gsa.gov/forms-library/appointment-affidavit, Accessed 31, August 2022

togetherweserved plaque
CPL Charlie Sneed Junior

 Even though, I was four years old when he died on February 28, 1989, the very day of his birthday, I can still remember the folding of the flag and the twenty-one-gun salute performed at the cemetery a few days later. According to his DD-214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, Charlie Sneed Junior enlisted in the military as a teenager on April 2, 1980. He received an honorable discharge after serving more than three years in the Army. With one year five months and twenty-six days spent in foreign service. He received the Overseas Service Ribbon, the Army Service Ribbon and was classified a M16 expert. His primary specialty was Radio Teletype Operator. His rank at the time of his discharge was E-4. This is the rank of Corporal. This is the rank reflected on his tombstone that sits in section V-2157 of the Fort Logan National Cemetery, in honor of his service. 

Before, he passed away, my father, Corporal Charlie Sneed Junior had to commit to a similar affirmation. In some fashion, everyone is required do it before they can begin serving. The website for the U.S. Army Center of Military History posts the many ways in which the Oath of Enlistment and Oaths of Office have been revised over time.[2] 

[2]Oaths of Enlistment and Oaths of Office, U.S. Army Center of Military History, https://history.army.mil/html/faq/oaths.html, Accessed 31 August 2022

Burial Plot of Corporal Charlie Sneed Junior
Burial Plot of Corporal Charlie Sneed Junior

DD-214 of Corporal Charlie Sneed Junior
DD-214 of Corporal Charlie Sneed Junior

Map to Corporal Charlie Sneed Junior's Burial Site
Map to Corporal Charlie Sneed Junior's Burial Site

Since April 30, 1789, when George Washington took the oath, every President that has followed him has vowed the same.[3] Article six of the US Constitution mandates that all government officials “be bound by Oath”.[4] Therefore, my father would not have been able to accomplish the many things he had while serving in the U.S. Army had he have not taken the oath of office on his first day. My personal experience ensures me that the Oath of Office which vows dedication to this country is something that my father took seriously. He left a legacy of service to this country. And now I pledge to do the same


[3] Felisa Klubes,“Where did the Oath of Office Come From?”, The PEW Charitable Trust, 15 Jan. 2021, https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2021/01/15/where-did-the-oath-of-office-come-from ,Accessed 31 August 2022

Cited Sources

Appointment Affidavit, U.S. General Services Administration, 2002, https://www.gsa.gov/forms-library/appointment-affidavit, Accessed 31, August 2022

Article VI, Constitution of the United States,, U.S. Constitution Annotated https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/article-6/#:~:text=All%20Debts%20contracted%20and%20Engagements,Constitution%2C%20as%20under%20the%20Confederation, Accessed 31 August 2022

Klubes, Felisa, “Where did the Oath of Office Come From?”, The PEW Charitable Trust, 15 Jan. 2021, https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2021/01/15/where-did-the-oath-of-office-come-from Accessed 31 August 2022

Oaths of Enlistment and Oaths of Office, U.S. Army Center of Military History, https://history.army.mil/html/faq/oaths.html, Accessed 31 August 2022

togetherweserved,com plaque
CPL Charlie Sneed Junior

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