Photo By 1st Lt. Anna Doo | New Mexico Air National Guard Senior Master Sgt. Ron Bustos, owner of Bustos Custom...... read more read more
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The adage “home for the holidays” carries many connotations. To some, it means traveling to gather with friends and family. To others, it denotes a return to their childhood roots. For those in the military, it can mean returning to U.S. soil following an overseas tour of duty or a much-needed few weeks of rest and recuperation with loved ones.
For one Vietnam veteran, retired Sgt. Lloyd Allen Huehns, it carries a literal meaning. Huehns was given a new home here in an intimate ceremony Dec. 22.
New Mexico Air National Guard Senior Master Sgt. Ron Bustos, owner of Bustos Custom Homes and Development and a member of the 150th Maintenance Group, placed an advertisement in the Kirtland Nucleus seeking nominations of veterans in need of a new abode. He then vetted the multitude of eligible packets and selected Huehns to be the recipient of a completely remodeled mobile home.
New Mexico Air National Guard Tech. Sgt. Jose Vasquez nominated his father-in-law for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. In a letter accompanying the application, Vasquez detailed Huehns’ character, citing numerous examples of the humble, generous, selfless man he is.
“He is a Vietnam veteran who is your typical, patriotic, hard-working American who served in 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Division, in Vietnam from 1968-1971,” Vasquez said. “To show you what kind of a man he is, when the draft talk was starting, he chose to volunteer for service.”
Vasquez went on to recount Huehns’ service, his quick rise through the ranks and an attack that blew out the bunker the field artillery operations man was fighting from. The event earned Huehns a Purple Heart, which he turned down, stating his fellow Marines sustained far more severe injuries than he did.
Vasquez also touched on the treatment Huehns received upon returning to U.S. soil, recounting the physical and verbal assault the men endured. Brig. Gen. Andrew Salas, the adjutant general of New Mexico, also commented on this point in his remarks at the dedication of the new home. Salas said that just the night before, the New Mexico Army National Guard’s Company C, 1st Battalion, 171st Aviation Regiment, returned home to a crowd of hundreds, Blue Star Mothers, and local police and firefighters.
“It was a huge welcome back. I doubt that you had a bunch of people at the airport when you got back, did you?” Salas asked Huehns.
“We did, but not on our side,” Huehns replied. “I fought harder getting through LAX than I did in Vietnam for 13 months. That’s how many people we punched out for spitting on us and calling us baby killers. Thank God for the way people treat you guys today because you all deserve it. May it never happen again.”
Salas said, “Here’s the icing on the cake: Last night there were several Vietnam vets there, holding flags to say welcome home. Something that he never had, they never had. Your generation, sir - you’re our heroes. The fact that you went and served and did your duty and came back to nothing makes us hurt. We’re so glad for [Bustos] and all these noncommissioned officers here who’ve made it possible to say thank you in our own way for what you’ve done.”
This is the second home Bustos and his company have provided for a veteran in need. Last year, they replaced the home of Vietnam veteran Floyd Molina following a fire that reduced his to rubble. Donations from his company and members of the Air National Guard served to provide keys and a deed to Molina last October.
Another mobile home became available for the company to remodel, and since he didn’t have anyone referred to him, Bustos placed the advertisement and began asking his fellow Guard members for recommendations. Donations of expertise, resources, and countless hours were provided by Bustos Custom Homes and Development as well as volunteers from the Air National Guard. There is still a small price tag left for acquisition costs, moving and living expenses and a $415 monthly space rent at the mobile home park. Bustos said there will be a golf tournament hosted to fundraise, and an account in Huehns’ name at Nusenda Credit Unions can accept all monetary donations.
Bustos said, “When you give, you get, so pay it forward.”
He also said that of all the applications, he knew Huehns was the right choice for numerous reasons. Bustos recognizes the difference in public support for veterans today than of those during the Vietnam era and desires to do his part to right that wrong.
A more personal bond ties the two men too. Huehns lost his wife in 2005 to breast cancer and Bustos himself is a cancer survivor. Bustos said when Huehns was eager to offer his time and help on whatever the next project may be, he knew the right recipient was chosen.
As for the family living in Albuquerque, they are all thrilled to have Huehns move in to the neighborhood. Vasquez said, “It’s the best Christmas present my family could get.”
His 8-year-old daughter, Alysia, echoed the sentiment, commenting that having her grandfather closer is “really cool.” She shyly added that she’ll visit often.
Huehns himself placed the importance of moving from Phoenix to Albuquerque squarely on the fleeting time we all have for family bonding.
“These fine folks here donated this home to me for being a vet and doing my job. My daughter lives here, my son-in-law lives here and my granddaughters, who I haven’t had a chance to watch grow up, live here. I want to watch them grow and they are growing so fast,” Huehns said.
“Home for the holidays” for this veteran now means the opportunity to be an integral part of his granddaughters' daily lives – a priceless gift.
| Date Taken: | 12.22.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 12.23.2015 17:08 |
| Story ID: | 185286 |
| Location: | ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO, US |
| Web Views: | 482 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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