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USMC VIETNAM VETERAN POET
Loyde P. Arender
AKA "SNAKE"
Loyde P. "Snake" Arender
Born in 1950 and "raised with the hogs, butterbeans, and
watermelons" on a farm near the city of Dry Prong (population 300) in central
Louisiana. "Snake" got "his first taste of the Marine Corps" in
about 1960 while watching a movie called "Halls of Montezuma" starring
Richard Widmark. The USMC hymn during the movie made goose-bumps
appear on his forearms; and, he became determined to become a Marine with an
eagle, globe, and anchor in the middle of his chest.
Loyde served as an 0331 (machine gunner / infantry) from 1968 until 1971,
earning the nickname "Snake" while serving in Vietnam with the 26th
Marines, with both Bravo 1/26 and Kilo 3/26. After discharge, Snake became a "Street
Cop" (a controversial police officer who enforces justice, not just mere
laws, by using his discretion to bend the rules, thereby allowing individuals to
learn from their mistakes) in Monroe, Louisiana. He also enlisted in the
U.S. Coast Guard Reserve as a Port Security-man in law enforcement, drug
interdiction, and aids to navigation. In 1991, while on Active Duty with the
Coast Guard (stateside) during Operation Desert Storm, Snake suffered a
serious back injury which resulted in his forced retirement based on medical
disability from both the Coast Guard and Police Department.
Snake enjoys spending time with Kay, his wife of 35 years (1968), their three
grown children, and four grandchildren; and, finds a little time to write
poetry, work in his backyard, and knock around on the internet with his buddies,
especially his brothers from "The Few."
View Snake's
Vietnam photo album
Poems by Loyde Arender
More of Snake's poems may be found at the
International War
Veterans' Poetry Archives
Return to Vietnam Poetry Page
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