0219
Albert C. Huddy
Tomb Position
Sergeant of the GuardTomb Relief
hqHighest Military Rank
Command Sergeant MajorTomb Dates
May 1979 - Aug 1980Society Membership
MemberObituary
Albert C. "Chuck" Huddy, 66, Treasure Lake, DuBois, died Wednesday, May 20, 2015, at Penn Highlands Hospital, DuBois.
Born June 26, 1948, in Sharon, he was the son of the late Richard C. and Catherine Huddy.
He is survived by his wife of 43 years, Mary Jean.
He is also survived by a sister, Sharon R. Harvey of Canton, Ohio; a brother, Rexford M. Huddy of Brunswick, Ga.; two brothers and sisters-in-law, Barb and Gary Spiegel, DuBois, and John and Elaine Hosick, Jackson, Tenn.; 12 nieces and nephews and 23 great nieces and nephews.
Chuck retired as a Command Sergeant Major in the United States Army having served his country for 27 years. He then worked for 10 years as a civilian for the Department of the Army as Chief Plans and Operations Officer at Ft. Belvoir, Va. He was a veteran of the Vietnam War and was awarded three Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star for combat action in hostile territory in South Vietnam and was awarded the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Identification Badge # 219. He was a Sergeant Major with the 3rd Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) and his last duty assignment was as Installation Command Sergeant Major of Ft. Myer, Va.
Chuck was a member of St. Michael the Archangel Roman Catholic Church. He served as a board member of Treasure Lake Property Owners Association, was a member of the Treasure Lake Men's Golf League and the Treasure Lake Sportsman Club. He was also a member of the Goshen Hunting Club and Chief Chef.
Memories & Condolences
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Units & Campaigns
3d United States Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard)Awards & Decorations
Purple Heart w/2 OLCBronze Star
Vietnam Service Medal
Army Service Ribbon
Tomb Guard Identification Badge
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Learn More
Did you know?
How many Sentinels have been female?
There have been over 700 tomb guards awarded the badge since 1958 when we started counting. There are hundreds more from the year 1926 when the Army started guarding the Tomb. The 3rd US Infantry (The Old Guard) is the unit that has been given the duty of guarding the Tomb. It was given this sacred duty in 1948. The Old Guard was -- and still is -- considered a combat unit. As an Infantry unit, females were not permitted in the ranks for many years. It wasn't until 1994 that females were permitted to volunteer to become a Sentinel when the 289th Military Police Company was attached to the Old Guard. The MP branch is a combat support unit and includes females.
In 1996, SGT Heather Johnsen became the first female to earn the Tomb Guard Identification Badge. She volunteered for duty in June 1995 and earned her badge in 1996. However, SGT Johnson was not the only female Sentinel. Since then, there have been a total of eight female Sentinels awarded the Tomb Guard Identification Badge:
SGT Danyell Wilson earned her badge in 1997SSG Tonya Bell received hers in 1998
SGT Ruth Hanks earned her badge in June 2015
SFC Chelsea Porterfield earned her badge in 2021
SGT Kamille Torres earned her badge in 2022
SPC Jessica Kwiatkowski earned her badge in 2023
SGT Kaylee Johnston earned her badge in 2024
Several other units have since been attached to the Old Guard -- food service, transportation, medics, etc. -- so now females have an ever-greater opportunity to become a Sentinel. Females must meet the same requirements as the male soldiers to be eligible to volunteer at the Tomb. the only difference is that females have a minimum height of 5'8" -- which is the same standard to be a member of the Old Guard.
