August 27th, Mississippi lost a hero, a patriot, a statesman, a steward.
Mac Huddleston grew up on his grandparents’ farm in Holmes County, attended Mississippi State University and joined the ROTC to pay for college. He graduated with a degree in accounting. A month later, he joined the army just prior to this announcement from President Johnson.
“Renewed hostile actions against United States ships on the high seas in the Gulf of Tonkin have today required me to order the military forces of the United States to take action in reply.”
Huddleston would serve as a Huey helicopter pilot in Vietnam. One of his more unique flights is commemorated at Camp Shelby, south of Hattiesburg.
“There was a problem. The Hueys could only go for about two hours on a tank of gas…let’s take one of these tango boats and put a fuel blatter in there…and lets put a platform, a 16 by 16 platform on top of that boat, the Hueys can come in here, we can crank a motor, pump that jet fuel in the Huey and the Huey can take off,” said Huddleston. “So the picture you see out here is actually the first landing on one of those tango boats, and I was actually flying it.”
Doctor Huddleston would receive the Bronze Star and Distinguished Flying Cross. Returning home, Huddleston obtained his Doctorate degree in Veterinary Medicine. He worked as a large animal vet and served on the first faculty at the MSU Vet School. His wife recalls he loved making farm calls especially to dairy farms.
At 50, Huddleston graduated second in his class at the police academy eventually rising to investigator in the Pontotoc County Sheriff’s Office. Then he was approached to run for the state legislature. From his knowledge of agriculture, education, and law enforcement, you’d be hard pressed to find a more suited candidate. He won of course and starting in 2008, Huddleston served the people of District 15 for 15 years.
“When you go from growing up on a farm like he did to serving in the military to teaching at Mississippi State, to a veterinarian, I mean, you know, my life’s story is pretty boring when you compare it to Dr. Mac’s,” said Mississippi State Representative Vince Mangold, Huddleston colleague and friend.
Vince Mangold has been desk mates with Huddleston for eight years.
“The speaker asked me, Phillip Gunn, if I liked my seat and I said, well, I hoped that I could get next to somebody that knew something about what was going on, because I didn’t know anything about it, and so he said well check with me in the morning and we’ll see,” said Mangold. “So when I got here that second day and went and found my name tag, I was sitting next to Dr. Mac Huddleston.”
Mangold took these images of Huddleston’s last day in the State Capitol. He says Huddleston will definitely be missed in the upcoming legislative session…by everyone.
“He sat right there on the second row in the middle. When somebody would get through presenting a bill and they went by him, he’d give them a high five,” said Mangold. “So, I mean, everybody loved him; looked up to him; respected him. So, you know, it’ll be different. No doubt, it will be different without him here.”