MEGA History Page
MEGA Detachments
Page
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Master Sergeant
Kenneth E. Hunt Jr.
Marine Security Guard
Detachment
US Embassy: Nassau, Bahamas
US Mission: Havana, Cuba
Killed in the line of duty,
July 24, 2005
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Station
leader dies of combat wounds, leaves behind legacy
Source:
http://www.marines.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/0/0F060D988CC4D4B3852570A500535619?opendocument
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Submitted
by:
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MCAS Yuma |
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Story
by:
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Cpl.
Michael Nease |
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Story
Identification #:
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20051025111015 |
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MARINE
CORPS AIR STATION YUMA, Ariz.(Oct. 20, 2005) -- On Aug. 16, 1983,
18-year-old Kenneth E. Hunt Jr. stepped onto the yellow footprints at
Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, Calif. From that day forward, he
dedicated his life, and eventually sacrificed it, in the service of his
country and fellow Marines.
On July 24, Master Sgt. Hunt was providing security as part of a
six-vehicle improvised-explosive-device response team with Marine Wing
Support Squadron 371 in Al Taqaddum, Iraq. A large explosion near one
of the vehicles wounded four Marines, and while the team gave the
wounded first aid, Hunt’s vehicle, an armored Humvee, hit an
anti-tank mine. Hunt suffered burns to over 60 percent of his body in
the explosion. He was medically evacuated to Balad, Iraq, and then
transported to Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, San
Antonio, on July 26.Hunt died of cardiac
arrest Oct. 12 due to complications from the wounds he received. He is
survived by his wife Maria and two children, Kenneth III and Kimberly,
all of whom were with him when he died.
With him passed a wealth of skill, knowledge and esprit de corps, but
the legacy he leaves behind, all the lives he touched along the way,
will remain with the Corps, said Col. John J. Broadmeadow, who served
as MWSS-371’s commanding officer before and during the recent
deployment.
“I really believe, in his loss, we can celebrate the legacy of
the Marine Corps and the sacrifice of a Marine for his fellow
Marines,” said Broadmeadow.
Hunt was an infantryman. He served as a Marine Security Guard, as a
heavy machine gunner and squad leader with Weapons Company, 1st
Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine Division, and later with the 3rd
Marines of the 1st Marine Division as machine gun section leader,
platoon sergeant and platoon commander. He did a tour as a drill
instructor at MCRD San Diego, and then returned to 1/1 where he served
as platoon sergeant for the Combined Anti-tank Platoon. During this
time, he also served as a heavy machine gun instructor at 1st Division
schools. He spent three years as an instructor and platoon commander at
the School of Infantry, which included a deployment to Kaunas,
Lithuania, where he cross-trained Lithuanian noncommissioned officers
in small-unit tactics.
In August 1999, he came to Yuma, where he served as detachment first
sergeant and ground military specialist officer with the Personnel
Support Detachment of Marine Aircraft Group 13. From MAG-13, Hunt
transferred to Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron and became the
squadron ground training officer. In October 2004, he became the
squadron gunnery sergeant of MWSS-371.
Hunt traveled all over Asia and the Middle East, and participated in
Operations Team Spirit, Southern Watch, Iron Magic, and more recently,
Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom I and III.
Hunt was dedicated to the Corps and his Marines, but he was also a very
dedicated family man. He was a loving husband and father, and his
family never felt second-best to the Marine Corps, said Hunt’s
wife of 20 years, Maria, who was by his bedside from the day he arrived
at Brooke Army Medical Center to the moment he died.
Hunt was able to separate his work from his family life. He was a man
known in the Corps to have a powerful and vivid vocabulary, but never
once cursed at home, said Maria.
“He had a tough job to do, but, with us, we’ve never seen
that side of him,” Maria said. “He was always very
compassionate with us.”
Hunt was considering retirement when he deployed with MWSS-371. He
decided to go for another tour and Maria supported his decision, she
said.
“I knew that he was doing what he wanted to do,” said
Maria. “That’s why, when people ask me if I’m angry,
(I answer,) no, I don’t feel angry. I don’t feel anger
toward anybody or anything, because I know he was doing what he wanted
to do. If he could have told me, he probably would have told me that
this is the way he wanted it to be.”
Hunt spent the majority of his 22-year career in teaching positions,
leading Marines and teaching them how to be proficient riflemen and
leaders.
“He had the mix -- the mix of technical skills, communication
skills and personality that really made people want to learn from him.
He had skill and charisma all at the same time,” said retired
Chief Warrant Officer 4 Ed Virden, who now manages the MAG-13 nuclear,
biological and chemical warehouse here. While with MAG-13, Virden
deployed to OIF I with Hunt.
An example of Hunt’s initiative
and dedication to training Marines is the station corporal’s
course, which Hunt, with the help of retired Sgt. Maj. Brian Lindstrom,
former station sergeant major, established while he was assigned to
MAG-13.
“He was directly responsible for finding a permanent space on the
air station for the purpose of creating enlisted leaders,” Virden
said. “He personally administered the procurement of the
building, and he managed construction activities and the purchase of
equipment. That building should be dedicated in his honor.”
Hunt impacted not only junior Marines, but those senior to him as well.
“I’ve spent twenty-three years around the Marine Corps, and
he’s one of the few men who have impacted me most in my own
professional career,” said Broadmeadow, who added that Hunt was
one of the people who contributed most to the success of
MWSS-371’s recent deployment.
Hunt made sure the Marines had all the infantry knowledge to keep
themselves safe and accomplish the mission. He instilled confidence in
the Marines wherever he went, said Lt. Col. Richard Musser, MWSS-371
executive officer.
“Everyone knew that he knew exactly what he was doing, so when
they were outside the wire doing something dangerous, they got the
feeling that everything was going to be OK,” Musser said.
“He was the finest Marine I’ve ever worked with.”
Hunt would often pull Marines out of vehicles going on patrol, and take
their place to give them time off. He put himself in danger in order to
keep his Marines safe.
Besides keeping the Marines combat ready, Hunt also boosted the
squadron’s morale by holding events, such as a talent show and
field meet, to keep the Marines occupied during lulls in the
deployment, said 1st Lt. Josh Summers, MWSS-371 adjutant.
Sgt. Joshua Portz said Hunt was always excited to join the Marines on
the convoy and take an aggressive position in the gun turret, where he
could observe all sectors of fire.
“All the words that you can think of that describe the Corps --
motivator, educator, leader, honor, commitment -- all those words
describe Master Sergeant Hunt. He was a great man,” said Portz.
Hunt would go out of his way to help you, but was quick to correct you
if you were in the wrong, said Lt. Col. Ed Sexton, station airfield
operations officer, who also deployed with Hunt during OIF I.
Though Hunt intimidated many Marines when they first met him, after a
while they got to see his compassionate side. Two such Marines are Cpl.
Arturo De La Mora, H&HS training noncommissioned officer-in-charge,
and Charity Hobson, who got out of the Corps recently and now works for
Marine Corps Community Services retail department. They worked closely
with Hunt at H&HS training, where he completely reorganized the
section, creating a filing system and database, developed a program for
weight-control Marines and much more, they said.
Hunt, like a good leader, got to know these two Marines personally.
When he saw they were having problems, he would pull them aside and
talk to them. Hunt became a father figure for both of them.
“We tried to always do our best for him -- to work to the best of
out abilities, because we always wanted him to be proud of us,”
said Hobson. “He was a great leader.”
De La Mora said Hunt was a man who could always be trusted to get the
job done, and now he tries to do the same. Hunt became his idol, he
said.
“He was just; he was fair; he always made the right
judgment,” De La Mora said. “He knew everything. He had the
endurance to run the weight-control Marines. He had the initiative to
start new projects -- before it needed to be done, he was thinking
about it. He was the whole package, a stellar Marine.
“He impacted so many lives in the Marine Corps, and I’m
sure that there’s going to be future Master Sgt. Hunts out
there,” De La Mora continued.
Sexton has a son who is a Marine infantryman currently deployed to Iraq.
“I always hoped my son would deploy with a guy like Master
Sergeant Hunt,” Sexton said. “I’d rather my son go to
combat with Master Sergeant Hunt than anybody else I know, he’s
just that kind of guy.”
At the top of Hunt’s personal web site is a quote by British
author George Orwell. Sexton said that quote embodied how Hunt saw
himself. It reads, “We sleep safe in our beds because rough men
stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us
harm.” |
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Detachments: |
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MOS: |
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USMC Bio: |
infantryman.
Marine Security Guard,
heavy machine gunner
squad leader
Drill Instructor
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Assignments
Awards & Decorations
| - Marine Security Guard Ribbon |
Personal
Bio:
Personal Bio:
| DOB: |
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Parents: |
Ken
Sr
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Spouse: |
Maria |
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Children: |
Kimberly
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Brothers: |
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Occupation: |
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Date Passed: |
24
July 2005
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| Place of internment: |
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