Spoke today with the wife of Captain JW Huffman of Bravo 68-69. She said he suffered a stoke last night while taking off his boots sitting on his bed. His condition is poor and is in the Sebring Hospital Fl.
Just 5 days days ago I drove from here in Miami to visit him. He related to me about his time in the Corp, starting in Korea,1950
A brutal seventeen day battle in freezing weather was what he remembers most. In the period between 27 November and 13 December 1950, 30,000 United Nations (UN) troops ("The Chosin Few")including the 1-7 under the command of General Almond were encircled by approximately 60,000 Chinese troops
JW told me that under one attack his squad were in fox holes when there was an artillery attack and the man next to him lost his leg. JW picked up the man and the man yelled, 'Get my leg". JW picked up the leg and headed to the rear when the man again yelled, " Not that one the other one, you got the wrong leg!" JW had not noticed that another Marine too has lost hos leg also.
JW said that they thought they would be overrun and he was ready to stick a K-bar in his chest, having heard stories about torture, "that was the closest I came to death, after that battle I knew I was not going to die in combat".
Fast forward 18 years and he's leading Bravo Co in Viet-Nam where he receive TWO Silver Stars.
In the book "The US Marines in Vietnam High Mobility and Stand Down 1969", there on page 113 is a picture on JW sitting naked in a "tub" that was used by the NVA to cross the Song Vu Gia river. He had just returned from a long operation and this was the first day he was able to take a bath.It was on this op that he received his second SS. He told me a few days later he reported to the General who had a poster size picture of JW sitting in that "tub" behind his desk. They all got a big laugh except JW who said that his eyes never moved, and he would not give all those brass the benefit of a joke at his expense.
This info was taken from WIKIPEDIA,
1st Marine
KIA 400
WIA 2265
MIA 90
Total Battle 2755
Non-Battle 1395 (Mostly frostbite)
Grand Total 4150
JW told me many other stories and it was an honor to sit and hear from the real deal
"The American Marine First Division,the Seventh and Fifth Regiments has the highest combat effectiveness in the American armed forces. It seems not enough for our four divisions to surround and annihilate its two regiments. (You) should have one or two more divisions as a reserve force."
MAO ZEDONG'
See ya in Richmond
The Few, the Proud, You guys.
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