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Remember...Robert William Hunt
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Robert William Hunt was born at Beckley, Raleigh County, West Virginia, on August 16, 1939. His parents were James Lee Hunt and Elnora Mae Pannell Hunt. According to the 1940 Federal Census, Robert was the youngest member of the household that included sisters Dorothy, Ophelia, Geraldine, and Sylvia. His brothers in 1940 were Harold and Donald. By 1950, the family had added three members: Joyce Ann, Carl M., and James E. Hunt. (The Sprawling Roots Research Tree on Ancestry.com indicates that Harold's first name was Leonard, and he was known as Lee.)
Growing up in Beckley, Robert attended and graduated from Stratton High School. When he registered for the draft on August 20, 1957, he stated that he was a janitor at the Elks Club in Beckley. In 1964, he married Comley Leonia Gilbert, and they had two daughters, Terry Lynn and Michelle Rene. A "Missing in Vietnam" notice in the Raleigh Register (March 4, 1968) notes that he had served 10 years in the U. S. Army, meaning that he had originally enlisted in 1958.
Sergeant First Class Hunt departed for Vietnam on his final 12-month tour on January 26, 1968. A Find A Grave Memorial (Memorial No. 61656893) shows that his death at Gia Dinh, South Vietnam, occurred just a month into his tour (February 28, 1968). [Note that there are two Find A Grave memorials for Robert Hunt.] From the Find A Grave Memorial (created by Eddieb):
Robert W. Hunt was a gunner on an M48 Tank assigned to Troop C, 3rd Squadron, 4th Cavalry, 25th Infantry Division.On February 28, 1968, Corporal Hunt was a member of an M-48 tank crew in combat with hostile forces in Hoc Mon, a suburb of Saigon, his unit was engaged in a reconnaissance in force mission just north of Saigon in South Vietnam.
The enemy launched an attack with rocket propelled grenades and heavy automatic weapons fire just after the tank commander had stopped to check the ID of an indigenous person. During the assault, the tank received two direct RPG hits.
Hunt was seen standing in the rear of the tank just prior to the assault. Because of heavy fighting, the area was not secured until the next day, and the tank could not be immediately checked for survivors.
When search teams went into the area the following day, Hunt could not be found.
Lost the same day at the same coordinates on ground was James J. Scuitier. His name disappeared from the lists of missing by September 1978, but there is reference to his name in Hunt's files from Joint Casualty Resolution Center (JCRC).
In January 1973, the Provisional Revolution Government reported the death of PFC James J. Scuiter while in captivity. However, PFC Scuiter's remains were located and recovered from the scene of the combat where Corporal Hunt was declared missing. It was believed that the PRG had misidentified the remains.
Corporal Hunt was declared dead/body not recovered in September 1978. He was not identified alive in the Vietnamese prison system.
In 1975 U.S. interviewers located a former soldier from the People's Army 84th Regiment, 9th Infantry Division. He described himself as the individual who had fired the rocket propelled grenades which disabled the M-48 tank and stated that an African- American had been captured on that date.
Since 1985, U.S. intelligence has received several reports about an African-American killed in action and buried in the Hoc Mon area. While not identified as Corporal Hull [sic], these reports are similar to location and circumstances pertaining to his loss.
| Although accounts of his service refer to Robert Hunt's rank as corporal, his Find A Grave memorials list his rank as sergeant first class, possibly indicating a posthumous promotion. Sfc. Hunt is memorialized on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial at Panel 41E, Line 67. He is also honored at the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial. Sfc. Robert Hunt received the Purple Heart for his service. He was eligible (and likely received) the following commendations: Combat Infantry Badge, Marksmanship Badge, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Army Presidential Unit Citation, and Vietnam Gallantry Cross.
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 Honolulu Memorial, National Cemetery of the Pacific. Courtesy of American Battle Monuments Commission |
Although accounts of his service refer to Robert Hunt's rank as corporal, his Find A Grave memorials list his rank as sergeant first class, possibly indicating a posthumous promotion. Sfc. Hunt is memorialized on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial at Panel 41E, Line 67. He is also honored at the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial. Sfc. Robert Hunt received the Purple Heart for his service. He was eligible (and likely received) the following commendations: Combat Infantry Badge, Marksmanship Badge, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Army Presidential Unit Citation, and Vietnam Gallantry Cross.
Posting in the "Remembrances" section of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund Wall of Faces, Robert Hunt's daughter Michelle, who was only three months old at the time of his death, writes: "It's so hard to read these remembrance, when I don't have any to share. I just hope that one day, I will get to see you. You are truly missed and loved by so many. You are in my heart always. I love you."
Article prepared by Patricia Richards McClure
July 2025
West Virginia Archives and History welcomes any additional information that can be provided about these veterans, including photographs, family names, letters and other relevant personal history.
