Paul B. Huff was a very interesting man, and was definitely a hero.......even though he didn't think of himself as one. I first met him while I was in the JAGC at Ft. Campbell, KY. People told me I should call him up and go see him, when they learned I collected military items. I was reluctant to do so, not wanting to impose upon him. Finally, one of the people in the JAG office who knew him and told me I was to join him at his home that evening. I said I couldn't do it, but went when the person insisted that I go. I am very glad I did.........I met one of the most interesting men I have ever known. I had known of CSM Huff for some time, and in fact had served with him at Ft. Campbell in 1957 the first time I was in the U. S. Army as a enlisted man with the 101st ABN DIV...........however even though I saw him then, I never met him.
I spent many enjoyable evenings with him and his wife, after I did meet him......we "hit it off" that first evening. I found out later just how unusal that was, since he generally did not like officers and I was a JAG CPT.........but did me. We ended the evening sitting on the floor going through his military momentos, including the CMOH put on him in theatre by General Mark Clark and the one he was later awarded in the formal ceremony stateside by President Roosevelt.
He gave me an autographed photo of him that evening.
When he started gathering up his things to put them away, he picked up his lapel rosettes (he had several) and paused. He asked if I had one. I responded that I did, but added "but not from the person to whom it was awarded". He smiled, laid it on the photo and said "now you do". He also gave me a BW photo of the ceremony in the woods in Italy. Another man was awarded the CMOH at the same time as him........I think his name was Knappenberger, or something like that.
General Clark is far left, SGT Huff is second left, and next to him is Knappenberger.
Another shot of the ceremony. SGT Huff is on the left.
As he continued picking up his things, he picked up the medals.....looked at them, and said "do you have one of these?". My heart almost stopped, but I managed to answer "yes, I do". He smiled and asked "from the person who was awarded it?". I said ..........no. He smiled again, and asked me if I were to have one which one would I want. I told him I would want whichever one I was offered. He pressed me to tell him whether I would want the unengraved one Mark Clark put on him, or the engraved one from the President. My response was that I would prefer the one Mark Clark put on him in Italy. He smiled, looked at it a while, and laid it on the picture. He said "now you do". I am not sure that my feet touched the ground as I left that night.
I went back a couple of days later, and many other times as well, with a letter I had typed up the next day at the JAG office. He signed it to show where I got the medal. I have cut out my full name and address by computer for security reasons.
On the next visit he also gave me a newly put together set of his ribbons etc. that he worn on his uniform and some more pictures. I set up a display with the things he gave me.
Photo of CSM Huff in existing light at his home Clarksville, TN.
I later wrote to General Clark and told him what CSM Huff had given me. I told him that I knew his photographer would had to have taken a photo of him placing the medal around SGT Huff's neck, and I would like a copy of it if it could be located. He wrote back and said he had donated his things to the Citadel museum, but he would have the curator find a copy. He did, and sent it to me. In turn I had it copied, sent 2 copys to General Clark, and asked if he would mind autographing one to me and one to SGT Huff (I sent a pre-addressed and stamped photo envelope with the photos). He did that too. The next time I went to see SGT Huff, I gave him his copy and had him autograph mine. I seemed to please him, as he didn't have that photo.
This label is on the back of the photo General Clark sent me.
SGT Huff was later sent home on a War Bond drive, and to receive the formal award by the President. The following are some photos from his trip home and his arrival. He told me that the "goofy" look when drinking the milkshake was because he had drank something else before it.
SGT Huff was from Cleveland, TN, neaby the home of SGT Alvin York, whom was a boyhood hero of his. They visited quite often, and he and his wife used to look in on SGT York's wife after York's death. This is a photo of SGT York in the hospital near the time of his death, when SGT Huff visited him with a presentation for him.
Here are some photos of the engraved medal.
SGT Huff is no longer with us, so I will see him no more. May he rest in peace.
Wording on Paul Huff’s Citation
HUFF, PAUL B.
Rank and organization: Corporal, U.S. Army, 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion. Place and date: Near Carano, Italy, 8 February 1944. Entered service at: Cleveland, Tenn. Birth: Cleveland, Tenn. G.O. No.: 41, 26 May 1944. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty, in action on 8 February 1944, near Carano, Italy. Cpl. Huff volunteered to lead a 6-man patrol with the mission of determining the location and strength of an enemy unit which was delivering fire on the exposed right flank of his company. The terrain over which he had to travel consisted of exposed, rolling ground, affording the enemy excellent visibility. As the patrol advanced, its members were subjected to small arms and machinegun fire and a concentration of mortar fire, shells bursting within 5 to 10 yards of them and bullets striking the ground at their feet. Moving ahead of his patrol, Cpl. Huff drew fire from 3 enemy machineguns and a 20mm. weapon. Realizing the danger confronting his patrol, he advanced alone under deadly fire through a minefield and arrived at a point within 75 yards of the nearest machinegun position. Under direct fire from the rear machinegun, he crawled the remaining 75 yards to the closest emplacement, killed the crew with his submachine gun and destroyed the gun. During this act he fired from a kneeling position which drew fire from other positions, enabling him to estimate correctly the strength and location of the enemy. Still under concentrated fire, he returned to his patrol and led his men to safety. As a result of the information he gained, a patrol in strength sent out that afternoon, 1 group under the leadership of Cpl. Huff, succeeded in routing an enemy company of 125 men, killing 27 Germans and capturing 21 others, with a loss of only 3 patrol members. Cpl. Huff's intrepid leadership and daring combat skill reflect the finest traditions of the American infantryman.
The above wording on his citation did not please SGT Huff......in fact it made him mad. He told me "I don't know where the hell they got the idea that I lost any of my men..........I did NOT!". The other thing that got his dander up was when someone would say he won the CMOH. He would respond that it was not a prize to be "won". He accepted the word "received" or "was awarded". The one he gave me he had given to the Pratt Museum at Ft. Campbell for display. The CG came in the museum one day, saw the medal, and asked the curator "what the hell is Huff's medal doing here.......he wasn't in the 101st when he "won" it". SGT Huff got word of the comments, went to the museum, and said he wanted it back, took it, and left. He said that he only used his medal once..............the CG was not at his retirement even though he was post commander..............at that time a CMOH awardee could control their own retirement ceremony, including who was there. SGT Huff had no officers at his, except one he served with in Vietnam, and when he told me that..........he smiled.
Sorry this has dragged on so long, but the first paratrooper to receive the CMOH is definitely someone to be remembered.
Ron
I spent many enjoyable evenings with him and his wife, after I did meet him......we "hit it off" that first evening. I found out later just how unusal that was, since he generally did not like officers and I was a JAG CPT.........but did me. We ended the evening sitting on the floor going through his military momentos, including the CMOH put on him in theatre by General Mark Clark and the one he was later awarded in the formal ceremony stateside by President Roosevelt.
He gave me an autographed photo of him that evening.
When he started gathering up his things to put them away, he picked up his lapel rosettes (he had several) and paused. He asked if I had one. I responded that I did, but added "but not from the person to whom it was awarded". He smiled, laid it on the photo and said "now you do". He also gave me a BW photo of the ceremony in the woods in Italy. Another man was awarded the CMOH at the same time as him........I think his name was Knappenberger, or something like that.
General Clark is far left, SGT Huff is second left, and next to him is Knappenberger.
Another shot of the ceremony. SGT Huff is on the left.
As he continued picking up his things, he picked up the medals.....looked at them, and said "do you have one of these?". My heart almost stopped, but I managed to answer "yes, I do". He smiled and asked "from the person who was awarded it?". I said ..........no. He smiled again, and asked me if I were to have one which one would I want. I told him I would want whichever one I was offered. He pressed me to tell him whether I would want the unengraved one Mark Clark put on him, or the engraved one from the President. My response was that I would prefer the one Mark Clark put on him in Italy. He smiled, looked at it a while, and laid it on the picture. He said "now you do". I am not sure that my feet touched the ground as I left that night.
I went back a couple of days later, and many other times as well, with a letter I had typed up the next day at the JAG office. He signed it to show where I got the medal. I have cut out my full name and address by computer for security reasons.
On the next visit he also gave me a newly put together set of his ribbons etc. that he worn on his uniform and some more pictures. I set up a display with the things he gave me.
Photo of CSM Huff in existing light at his home Clarksville, TN.
I later wrote to General Clark and told him what CSM Huff had given me. I told him that I knew his photographer would had to have taken a photo of him placing the medal around SGT Huff's neck, and I would like a copy of it if it could be located. He wrote back and said he had donated his things to the Citadel museum, but he would have the curator find a copy. He did, and sent it to me. In turn I had it copied, sent 2 copys to General Clark, and asked if he would mind autographing one to me and one to SGT Huff (I sent a pre-addressed and stamped photo envelope with the photos). He did that too. The next time I went to see SGT Huff, I gave him his copy and had him autograph mine. I seemed to please him, as he didn't have that photo.
This label is on the back of the photo General Clark sent me.
SGT Huff was later sent home on a War Bond drive, and to receive the formal award by the President. The following are some photos from his trip home and his arrival. He told me that the "goofy" look when drinking the milkshake was because he had drank something else before it.
SGT Huff was from Cleveland, TN, neaby the home of SGT Alvin York, whom was a boyhood hero of his. They visited quite often, and he and his wife used to look in on SGT York's wife after York's death. This is a photo of SGT York in the hospital near the time of his death, when SGT Huff visited him with a presentation for him.
Here are some photos of the engraved medal.
SGT Huff is no longer with us, so I will see him no more. May he rest in peace.
Wording on Paul Huff’s Citation
HUFF, PAUL B.
Rank and organization: Corporal, U.S. Army, 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion. Place and date: Near Carano, Italy, 8 February 1944. Entered service at: Cleveland, Tenn. Birth: Cleveland, Tenn. G.O. No.: 41, 26 May 1944. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty, in action on 8 February 1944, near Carano, Italy. Cpl. Huff volunteered to lead a 6-man patrol with the mission of determining the location and strength of an enemy unit which was delivering fire on the exposed right flank of his company. The terrain over which he had to travel consisted of exposed, rolling ground, affording the enemy excellent visibility. As the patrol advanced, its members were subjected to small arms and machinegun fire and a concentration of mortar fire, shells bursting within 5 to 10 yards of them and bullets striking the ground at their feet. Moving ahead of his patrol, Cpl. Huff drew fire from 3 enemy machineguns and a 20mm. weapon. Realizing the danger confronting his patrol, he advanced alone under deadly fire through a minefield and arrived at a point within 75 yards of the nearest machinegun position. Under direct fire from the rear machinegun, he crawled the remaining 75 yards to the closest emplacement, killed the crew with his submachine gun and destroyed the gun. During this act he fired from a kneeling position which drew fire from other positions, enabling him to estimate correctly the strength and location of the enemy. Still under concentrated fire, he returned to his patrol and led his men to safety. As a result of the information he gained, a patrol in strength sent out that afternoon, 1 group under the leadership of Cpl. Huff, succeeded in routing an enemy company of 125 men, killing 27 Germans and capturing 21 others, with a loss of only 3 patrol members. Cpl. Huff's intrepid leadership and daring combat skill reflect the finest traditions of the American infantryman.
The above wording on his citation did not please SGT Huff......in fact it made him mad. He told me "I don't know where the hell they got the idea that I lost any of my men..........I did NOT!". The other thing that got his dander up was when someone would say he won the CMOH. He would respond that it was not a prize to be "won". He accepted the word "received" or "was awarded". The one he gave me he had given to the Pratt Museum at Ft. Campbell for display. The CG came in the museum one day, saw the medal, and asked the curator "what the hell is Huff's medal doing here.......he wasn't in the 101st when he "won" it". SGT Huff got word of the comments, went to the museum, and said he wanted it back, took it, and left. He said that he only used his medal once..............the CG was not at his retirement even though he was post commander..............at that time a CMOH awardee could control their own retirement ceremony, including who was there. SGT Huff had no officers at his, except one he served with in Vietnam, and when he told me that..........he smiled.
Sorry this has dragged on so long, but the first paratrooper to receive the CMOH is definitely someone to be remembered.
Ron
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