RIDAYAPRIL 19, 2002
npTT
A jn
Texas Aggie
MUSTER
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
2002
^Tpril 21, 2002
Commemorating the fallen reminds Aggies they have
Big boots to fill
.L. Huffines, Class of 1944, and his Corps of Cadets
buddies never got to wear their senior boots.
In May 1943, when they should have been antici
pating the end-of-the-year Corps of Cadets trip, celebrating
their shiny new Aggie rings and building the strong bonds
Aggieland is known for, they received orders to report for
duty to a war that was getting deadlier and bloodier by the
hour. Within 48 hours of the call, Huffines and 650 other
cadets were sent by train to Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio
to leave behind their Aggie identities and become World War
II soldiers.
Huffines still has the letter he received sent by Thomas O.
Walton, the president of A&M.
“Beside the attributes of the soldier, you have that spark of
something that men trained at A&M College possess; that
something which in this war may be the difference between
defeat and ultimate victory,” Walton wrote.
Huffines was sent to fight in the 3rd Armored Cavalry
under the command of Gen. George S. Patton.
One Christmas in Europe, Huffines got word of another
Aggie in a nearby outfit. In Aggie Muster tradition, the friends
sjotlogether, ate a little and relived their time as cadets at A&M.
Through the grace of his Aggie friend, Huffines was sent back
to his hungry troops with a hot meal — his first in weeks.
“He was our Santa Claus,” Huffines said.
But this would not be Huffines last Aggie Christmas.
While he is considered Class of 1944, and his Aggie ring
reflects the same, Huffines and his buddies who survived the
turmoil of war (80 died in combat) returned to Aggieland in
1947. They finished their senior year as civilians, with no uni-
form and no senior boots — the very symbol of great achieve
ment and sacrifice. Those who had sacrificed three years of
their lives for their country never received the Aggie honor.
Friends fill the void
Two years ago, Huffines sat with two friends and co-work
ers in the office of his successful car dealership in North Texas
discussing Aggie traditions.
Bob Mohr, Class of 1965, said Huffines just hung his head
low and said, “T never did get my senior boots.”
Mohr and Bill Milburn, another co-worker moved by
Huffines’ Aggie spirit and stiff Corps handshake, decided to
fill the void with the ultimate Christmas gift. They presented
Huffines with a custom-made mahogany case displaying his
new Holick’s boots beside his saber, mounted cavalry guidon
and other keepsakes.
“After 57 years, I got my boots,” Huffines said. “It was
hard for me to talk. That made my tenure at A&M complete.”
This year, Huffines will be the honored speaker at Muster
in Rockwall County, and for good reason.
See Wait on page 4
Story by Emily Peters • Photo by Stuart Villanueva • Design by Mariano Castillo, Guy Rogers & Brian Ruff