James “Jimmy” Hauck was born in Austin, Texas, in May, 1945, but moved to New Jersey with his family when he was three years old. When he was 17, Hauck left home and enlisted in the Marine Corps because “Vietnam was going on and [he] wanted to make a change,” he said in a 2023 interview. He originally enlisted in the Navy but later transferred to the Marine Corps, where he remained for the rest of his military career.
Hauck completed basic training at Great Lakes, Illinois, before transferring to Port Hueneme, California, as a heavy equipment mechanic, repairing and operating heavy machinery and equipment. He served three tours in Vietnam, and often played guitar or poker in how down time.
After four years of service, Hauck returned to New Jersey for a civilian career in heavy equipment and machinery. He recalled the highlight of his Marine Corps service as being awarded a Purple Heart after an ambush attack in October 1965 when he was injured by enemy machine gun fire.
Hauck is now retired in New Jersey and enjoys playing guitar, reading about cars and taking trips to nearby American Legion posts. He also enjoys visiting local casinos.
We honor his service.
Nominate a Veteran
Do you want to light up the face of a special Veteran? Have you been wondering how to tell your Veteran they are special to you? VA’s “Honoring Veterans” social media spotlight is an opportunity to highlight your Veteran and his/her service.
It’s easy to nominate a Veteran. Visit our blog post about nominating to learn how to create the best submission
Writer: Sarah McDonald
Editors: Cate Manning, Ashley Shaut
Researchers: Ashley Squillace, Raphael Romea
Graphic Designer: Jaylon Buckles
Topics in this story
Link Disclaimer
This page includes links to other websites outside our control and jurisdiction. VA is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of non-VA Web sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policy or terms and conditions of those sites to fully understand what information is collected and how it is used.
More Stories
In honor of National Park Service's National Park Week, this week's Honoring Veterans spotlight honors the service of Army Veteran Michael Trevino, who today works as a facility manager at Reconstruction Era National Historical Park.
This week’s Honoring Veterans Spotlight honors the service of Navy Veteran Ken Mattingly, who served as a pilot during the 1950s and later became an astronaut during the Apollo missions.
This week’s Honoring Veterans Spotlight honors the service of Air Force Veteran Gavino Cavazos, who served from 1949 to 1973 during both the Korean and Vietnam Wars.
as a fellow nam vet i salute you!