Faviola Huffman, Oral History

Faviola Huffman, Oral History

Streaming Media

Date

2016-04-20

Description

This is a video recording of an oral history with Faviola Huffman. It was conducted on April 20, 2016. The interviewer is Dennis Donald. Faviola "Faye" Huffman was born on January 24, 1944, in Rio Grande City, Texas. Her father served in the Navy during World War II. Huffman recalled that her childhood was good, in some ways following the traditions of her parents' Hispanic heritage. All of Huffman's brothers and several of her extended family members had careers in the military, and one of her father's brothers received a Purple Heart for his service in the Marines. Huffman stated that her time in the military was not planned. She helped her younger brother, who was preparing to join the Air Force, fill out his enlistment paperwork. When her brother returned the paperwork, he was asked about the nice handwriting. Her brother told them about his sister, and the airmen became interested in recruiting her. Huffman was convinced by the recruiter's speech to join the Air Force. At the time, her father was having health issues, so she felt responsible for her younger siblings and wanted to provide for them financially. Huffman said her training was a "rude awakening," not because of the strictness, but because of its redundancy and repetition. She attended OCS at the Medina Annex in the Lackland Air Force Base near San Antonio. She then went into supply, receiving additional training in Denver, Colorado. She learned how to keep track of supplies, restock, and where to send items. Huffman was assigned to Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina, where she served as a supply officer. After about a month she was moved to another unit, where she became a staff member for the logistics officer, who was in charge of all supplies on base. Initially, Huffman said that the older male airmen reacted negatively to her. To relieve tensions, she asked the older airmen to teach her the ins and outs of her new job, and that they helped her immensely in return. Huffman's initial enlistment lasted four years, including two years of reserve duty. By the end of her third year, Huffman left Shaw AFB to fulfill her deployment to Korea. While there, her unit was seeking volunteers to help the men and women getting hooked on drugs overseas. With a background in Sociology and Psychology, Huffman felt she was qualified to counsel on substance abuse, and she volunteered. She was sent to Bangkok and Udorn for the training that would make her a drug and alcohol counselor. From that point on, Huffman's job was to counsel men and women in the military who were caught using drugs. After her service in Thailand, Huffman was eligible to leave the Air Force, but she chose to stay. She was assigned to Lockbourne Air Force Base in Columbus, Ohio, where she stayed for about a year before she left the military. Huffman credited her military experience with helping to cement the discipline and drive that she learned from her family. Hard work helped her succeed in a harsh world.

Type

Moving Image

Format

mp4

Department

Special Collections and University Archives

Identifier

2008-032_OH_01200_interview

Faviola Huffman, Oral History

Subject

Vietnam War, 1961-1975; United States. Air Force.


Keywords

East Texas War and Memory Project; ETWMP; Texas A&M University-Commerce; East Texas A&M University

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In Copyright