DUKE SCHNEIDER
Duke’s Story:
My childhood was a troubled one, as my father left my mother, who was bipolar, when I was newborn. He established a better relationship with another woman. I would only see him on brief visits once a week. My mother would frequently beat me with anything that she could get her hands on. She hated my father, and seeing me reminded her of him. Her only wants and desires were two “M”s….Money and Men. There were times at age 5 & 6 that I would wake up past midnight and find myself alone in the house. My mother would leave me alone to be with a Man, any Man. She neglected my health and at times my nutrition but never forgot to beat me randomly.
By age 12, my body had become so tough from those beatings that nothing effected me anymore. At age 6, I watched the first TV documentary on Adolph Hitler, “The Secret Life of Adolf Hitler.” It was then that a morbid interest was born in my mind of Hitler, Nazism, and the Third Reich. My father only fanned those flames as he would tell me things like, “If you are of pure Aryan blood, then you are better then any other race. You must be made of steel with no regrets or sentimental weakness. Discipline is the secret to every success.”
I began to strengthen my body at age 14 with rugged physical training for boxing, wrestling, martial arts. My obsession was still Nazism. I would read every book, watch every documentary, and associate only with people of similar interests; however, I could never actually classify myself a racist.
In 1983 the Department of Corrections transferred me to “Special Operations Division” on Riker’s Island (a prison island) which was considered by many as the special forces of the corrections department. These were some of the skills taught: Advanced Gunnery, Chemical Agents, Explosives, Hand to Hand Combat, Baton Defense, Due Process of Law, Penal Law, First Aid, Forced Entry, and for some Scuba was taught. I served there until retirement with several award medals and never a disciplinary charge. After retirement in April of 1999, I found employment as a “soldier of fortune,” in a manner of speaking, in numerous private security companies as an Armed Security Specialist/Agent. My skills, experience, and expertise qualified me for the assignments that other security personnel would avoid.
In October of 2001 I met Catherine, who is now my wife. She was running from an abusive ex-husband that threatened to murder her. She asked me if I could be hired by her as a bodyguard (a job that I have done many times).
THE JOINING OF THE NSM
In November of 2005 my obsessions got the better of me and I called the NSM hotline and recorded a message regarding membership. I received a call back in less then a minute by a New York State recruiter. I received a membership application by U.S. Mail and wrote all info that was requested and concealed 100% of nothing. My original request was to be a supporter; however, the recruiter demanded that due to my job qualifications I was to be a uniformed Storm Trooper. My first march was in Columbia, S.C. where I met Jeff Schoep (Commander at the time) and upon shaking his hand established a rapport greater then any friendship, and I became his bodyguard soon afterward. I was willing to die for his safety then, as I still am today.
Soon after I was promoted to Corporal and soon after that I was transferred to the elite SS Division. I climbed in rank in leaps and bounds, wearing my uniform proudly. All the while, I was still Catherine’s bodyguard and I had no secrets about my place in the NSM, as I was seen on TV and printed about in the newspapers. Catherine was stepping over lines to be more than someone that I protected; however, my job ethics and my position as a uniformed officer of the SS compelled me to maintain a professional demeanor and reject any type of intended romance. I was later informed that each time I traveled out of NY for NSM matters, she would just sit in her room on her bed spending the day with my pictures spread on her mattress just staring at them crying and would not eat until she got word that I was home safe. I was deeply touched but nevertheless I was now “SS CAPTAIN SCHNEIDER, CHIEF OF SS FORCES” and showed no emotion.
In September of 2012 a routine medical examination revealed that I had an 8-centimeter tumor in my throat that had been there for a considerable time. Biopsy found it to be loaded with cancer cells. The cold sweat broke from my pores….with all that I did requiring bravery, with all the heroism and violence that I laughed at, “I was nothing but a coward after all.” When Catherine learned of this, she immediately came to me and all that I could say was, “I’m gonna die, Catherine.” She hugged me with tears in her eyes and assured me that I wasn’t going to die, “God won’t let you die because I’m praying to him for you.” I asked why she was praying for me and she said, “Because I’m in love with you.” The shock put me off balance and I asked her when she began these feelings and she said, “The day that I hired you…but I kept it to myself because you are an SS officer.”
Doctors gave me little hope but Catherine insisted that I speak to her pastor. Ready to accept hope from any source, I met with Pastor Michael Beck at his church and we had a long and honest talk. On Sunday 9/30/12 I attended church where Pastor Beck and the congregation gave me hands-on prayer for God to cure me. On Tuesday 10/02/12 Pastor Beck drove Catherine and me to L.I. College Hospital for my surgery. Immediately after surgery I was taken to recovery where Catherine and Pastor Beck were waiting. The surgeon then told me, “We removed the tumor and thyroid gland, we examined all of your lymph nodes and they are all perfect, you won’t need chemotherapy or radiation treatment, you’re gonna be just fine.” Upon hearing the great news, I knew that God answered Catherine’s prayers and if her prayers were answered, then God is real and he cured me when he was in a position to tell me to go to the Devil. I held Catherine’s hand in mine and told her, “Just as soon as I can get my pants back on I’m gonna marry you.” My first task upon returning home was to call Jeff and be completely honest and truthful, I was resigning from the NSM and that I have given my soul to the Lord Jesus Christ. And also that I am going to marry a Black woman who has proven her love for me. We were married on 10/27/12 and we are still enjoying a 24-7 honeymoon. And the only sorrow is that I didn’t meet her when we were children.