Sergeant First Class Snipes was a member of the 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. He was seriously Wounded in Action by the enemy in South Korea on and returned to duty three day later. He was Killed in Action while fighting the enemy in South Korea on 6 February 1951.

Snipes was awarded the Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.