Colonel Forest J. “Joe” Hunt died March 3, 2014, after a long illness. Joe Hunt was born January 17, 1927, the oldest of two children of Joe Burros and Veta Tabor Hunt. He graduated from the University of California, Berkley. Joe met his future bride, Ethel Mae Brown, while in Officer’s Training in Quantico, Virginia. They were married on March 4, 1950. Colonel Hunt’s career as a U.S. Marine spanned 31 years. His military career started in mainland China following World War II. It proceeded into the Korean War for two tours. Colonel Hunt spoke 5 languages. His fluency in Arabic resulted in several posts in the Middle East including two tours in Beirut, each of which occurred during the Beirut civil wars in 1957 and 1976. He also had one tour in Vietnam. His proudest tour was perhaps as Commanding Officer of the U.S.M.C. Security Guard Battalion. Colonel Hunt received numerous commendations including the Legion of Merit with two gold stars with “V”, a Bronze Star with “V”, the Navy Marine Corps Commendation Medal with “V” and the Korean Chung Mu Medal with Silver Star. Upon retirement from the Marine Corps, Joe worked in Saudi Arabia with U. S. Treasury’s JECOR and Santa Fe International. Joe and Ethel traveled to more than 100 countries in their lifetime. They retired in Southern California until their move to Maryland in 2006 to be close to family.
Joe Hunt is survived by his three children, Forrest Joe Hunt and wife, Mary Frances Hunt, Robin Kathryn Hunt and Ellen Drew Hunt and six grandchildren, Forrest James Hunt, Stacey Erin Hunt, Jayde Melissa Snyder, Meredith Drew Hunt, Morgan Danielle Hunt and Garrett Wesley Hunt. In addition to his parents, Joe Hunt was predeceased by his wife, Ethel Mae Hunt and sister, Lois Hunt.
A visitation will be held at Haight Funeral Home in Sykesville, Maryland on Saturday, March 8, 2014 from 2:00 P.M.-4:00 P.M. and 6:00 P.M.-8:00 P.M. His internment will be at Arlington National Cemetery on July 2, 2014. His family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be sent to Cure Alzheimer’s Fund at curealz.org.