By Lance Cpl. Andrew S. Keirn Base color sergeant, Sgt. Matthew Snyder, stands in the front hallway of Lejeune Hall beside his photograph and a plaque engraved with the names of each color sergeant.

For Quantico, that responsibility rests on the shoulders of its base color sergeant, Sgt. Matthew Snyder. The 24-year-old Perrysburg, Ohio, native originally began his career in the Marine Corps as a small computers specialist. He was deployed to Iraq, and like most Marines, got down and dirty in the sandbox. After his deployment he arrived at Marine Corps Base Quantico and was assigned to Ceremonial Platoon. The dirt and sand was washed away and replaced with the fine pressed uniform, polished medals, and crisp Marine Corps movements that transformed Snyder into the shining example of a Marine he is today.

Snyder got to Ceremonial Platoon as a corporal and spent 10 months there performing his duties on the color guard, at funerals, and at other ceremonies before he received orders to leave and return to his military occupational specialty at Marine Corps Combat Development Command. While at Ceremonial Platoon, Snyder began to appreciate and enjoy his job.

‘‘Right around the time I was supposed to leave, the old base color sergeant was leaving, so I threw my name in the hat along with a few other Marines for the job so I could stay at Ceremonial Platoon,” Snyder said. ‘‘All the other Marines up for the job were sergeants and I was still just a corporal, so I didn’t think I would get it, but with the recommendation of the old color sergeant and a good interview with the base sergeant major, I got the job.”

The previous base sergeant major, Sgt. Maj. Raynard L. Watkins, interviewed Snyder for the job. He explained what they were looking for and what was expected of him.

After Snyder was chosen for the job, he became the interim color sergeant for about three months until he was promoted and announced as the official color sergeant at the Marine and Noncommissioned Officer of the Year ceremony.

‘‘It felt good to get selected,” Snyder said. ‘‘I was surprised because I really just thought I was throwing my name out there and didn’t have a chance. I was honored.”

As the base color sergeant, Snyder trains personnel for Ceremonial Platoon on how to do color guards, funerals and other events. He also maintains and orders all of Ceremonial Platoon’s property and receives and submits all color guard requests. He has a lot of duties, but none are as important to him as performing in the color guards.

‘‘It’s probably the closest thing I’ll ever get to leave a legacy within the Marine Corps,” Snyder said. ‘‘I’ll have my name on that plaque in Lejeune Hall forever, and for right now, my picture hangs in a very prominent spot there. It’s kind of cool; it’s like having my own wall. Every Marine has seen a color guard, but unless you get a chance to be a part of one and perform in front of a real patriotic crowd in front of thousands of people and they’re not just clapping for you, but screaming, it makes you feel like a celebrity, and you know all the hard work and practice was worth it just to represent the Marine Corps.”

The events and ceremonies may seem like all fun, but the hours of practice and after-hours and weekend events take a toll on Snyder, sometimes leaving him worn out and wishing for a break from it all.

‘‘I like to think of myself as someone who gets the job done well and works hard to ensure that it happens, but sometimes it’s hard,” Snyder said. ‘‘Right now I was hoping to be on leave to see my sister who just returned from Iraq, but I can’t because I have events to perform in. I haven’t taken leave since June 2006. It ruins a lot of weekends and is hard on relationships outside the Corps, but in the end it’s all worth it.”

Within the next three to four months, Snyder will be stepping down from a 3-year career in Ceremonial Platoon – more than two years longer than a normal tour in the platoon. He plans to switch his MOS and move into intelligence.

‘‘It’s something that I’ve wanted to do for a long time,” Snyder said. ‘‘I was thinking about this before I even became the color sergeant. I wouldn’t give up my time in Ceremonial Platoon for anything, but this is just a better move for my career.”

As the colors are soon passed to the next color sergeant for Marine Corps Base Quantico, it is obvious the bar has been set high by Snyder. Years down the road when Snyder is out of the Corps and enjoying his time off, his name will still be on a plaque in Lejeune Hall and his service forever remembered in the legacy of base color sergeants past and present.

‘‘I can see myself being like one of the older guys that comes up to us at events to tell us they did color guards when they were in a long time ago,” Snyder said. ‘‘I’ll always remember what it felt like and will remember that thrill when watching a Marine Corps color guard perform at whatever event I am at.”