PARADE MARSHALLS
158th West Virginia Memorial Day
Parade Marshall
Marvin Huffman
Marvin Hoffman born on August 10, 1933, to Louis and Gertrude Hoffman, in Toledo, Ohio He was the first son of 3 other siblings. Graduated Scott High School, in Toledo in 1952. Marvin worked through his early years in the family business with his father. He was involved in the grocery store and butcher shop until he enlisted in the United States Navy and took his basic training in San Diego, California. Marvin served four years during the Korean conflict and was assigned to the U.S.S. lowa. He was honorably discharged at the end of four years. He wed Dolores Weisberg in 1958 and they had their son Michael in 1965. Marvin worked in the grocery business for many years with different brokerages and retail establishments. Upon his retirement, he moved to Daytona Beach Shores, Florida, following in his chosen field, he sold produce at the outdoor market for 15 years. Marvin moved to Grafton in 2018 to be close to Michael and his family who lived in Grafton. Unfortunately, Dolores passed in late 2019. It was then that Marvin found the VFW Post #3081 and became part of the Taylor County Honor Guard. Performing military funerals at the national cemetery in Grafton. He has proudly served, along with many of his friends, for the past five years. This is a great honor to have been chosen as Grand Marshall of the West Virginia Memorial Day Parade
Horary Parade Marshall
The hearts of West Virginians were filled with reverence as they welcomed home five heroes this year who made the ultimate sacrifice for their nation. These brave service members, whose remains were recently identified and returned to their beloved home state, now hold a place of honor as the West Virginia Memorial Day Parade Honorary Parade Marshals. Decades after their final battles, they are home at last—a home that never forgot them, a home that has long awaited their return. Their stories, marked by valor and sacrifice, are now forever etched in West Virginia’s proud history.
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Among these heroes is U.S. Army Cpl. Howard Godwin, Jr., of Grafton, whose courageous stand in the early days of the Korean War ended with his name among the missing until his accounting on July 8, 2024. With him stands U.S. Army Pfc. James C. Bowman of Jordan, West Virginia, who disappeared in the harsh winter of 1950 and whose return, after 74 years, offers a long-awaited homecoming. U.S. Army Sgt. Kester Bernard Hardman of Smithville, who endured captivity and hardship before passing in a North Korean POW camp, is remembered not only for his sacrifice but for his indomitable spirit. From the distant waters of the Pacific, Lieutenant Jay Ross Manown, Jr., USNR, of Kingwood, returned after his plane was lost during World War II. Finally, U.S. Army Pfc. Mose E. Vance of Bradshaw, lost on a battlefield in France during World War II, has come home after nearly 80 years. Their journeys, spanning oceans, wars, and decades, have brought them back to the soil they so bravely defended.
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Today, as their names echo through the streets of West Virginia, these five sons are celebrated not only for their courage but for their enduring legacy. Their return is a powerful reminder that time may pass, but sacrifice is never forgotten.
