MR. RICHARD HUFFMAN OF NEW ALBANY, MS

THE UNITED STATES ARMY VOLUNTEER RESERVE HAS SELECTED MR. RICHARD HUFFMAN AS THEIR VETERAN OTHE MONTH FOR NEW ALBANY, MS FOR THE MONTH OF JAN-FEB 2003.

MR. HUFFMAN ENTERED THE ARMY IN DECEMBER 1950 IN ST. LOUIS, MO AND WAS SENT TO FORT LEONARD WOOD, MISSOURI FOR BASIC TRAINING. IMMEDIATELY AFTER BASIC TRAINING HE WAS ASSIGNED TO THE 3RD INFANTRY DIVISION IN KOREA AND PARTICIPATED IN SOME OF THE MOST FIERCE BATTLES OF THE KOREAN WAR. THE 3RD INFANTRY DIVISION WAS OVERRUN BY THE CHINESE AND MR. HUFFMAN WAS ONE OF THE FEW SURVIVORS.

AFTER TWO YEARS OF COMBAT HE WAS DISCHARGED AS A SERGEANT AND RETURNED HOME TO NEW ALBANY, WHERE HE WORKED AS A WOOD WORKER FOR 25 YEARS BEFORE RETIREING, AND WHERE HE NOW LIVES.

AMONG HIS DECORATIONS ARE THE KOREAN SERVICE MEDAL, THE KOREAN COMPAIGN MEDAL, THE ARMY COMMENDATION RIBBON, THE COMBAT INFANTRY BADGE AND THE UNITED NATIONS RIBBON. MOST RECENTLY HE WAS AWARDED THE KOREAN MEDAL FROM THE KOREAN GOVERNMENT. SOUTH KOREA IS A FREE COUNTRY TODAY BECAUSE OF THE UNSELFISH SERVICE OF MEN LIKE MR. HUFFMAN.

MR. HUFFMAN IS 74 YEARS OF AGE AND WAS MARRIED FOR 36 YEARS BUT IS NOW A WIDOWER. HE ALSO HAS FIVE CHILDREN AND FIVE GRANDCHILDREN.

FOR BEING SELECTED AS VETERAN OF THE MONTH HE WILL RECEIVE:

- HONORARY RANK OF SERGEANT FIRST CLASS
- 12 MONTH MEMBERSHIP IN THE USAVR
- VETERAN OF THE MONTH CERTIFICATE
- WRITE UP IN THE USAVR NEWS
- WRITE UP ON THE WWW.VETERANOFTHEMONTH.COM WEBSITE
- WRITE UP IN THE LOCAL NEWS PAPER
- A LETTER OF APPRECIATION FROM MAYOR WISE
- A LETTER OF APPRECIATION FROM SENATOR LITTLE
- VETERAN OF THE MONTH SERVICE RIBBON
- KOREAN WAR VICTORY MEDAL
SOME PEOPLE CALL THE KOREAN WAR, THE FORGOTTEN WAR BUT I’M SURE THERE HAS NOT BEEN A DAY IN MR. HUFFMAN’S LIFE WHICH HE DIDN’T THINK OF IT AND WE WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT THERE ARE SOME OF US THAT HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN HIM.

THANK YOU SFC HUFFMAN FOR YOU UNSELFISH SERVICE TO THIS COUNTRY WHEN IN NEED.

THE PRESENTATION WAS MADE BY CAPT TIM GILLISPIE, G5 OFFICE, 4TH BRIGADE, USAVR.