Ronald Huff recalls when a Russian freighter launched two planes near the end of the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Huff, 71, of Chicora, who is the 2016 Butler County Veteran of the Year, was stationed on the USS Recovery.

“We went to general quarters,” he said.

Huff said his ship would have been galvanized into action, but the freighter took no further action.

Rough seas ended up causing more tension among the Recovery crew than the near miss of conflict.

“We got into pretty bad storms,” Huff said.

He described the Recovery, a Bolster-class rescue and salvage ship, as a large tugboat in comparison to larger naval vessels.

“It was pretty rough,” Huff said about the storms. “We bounced a lot.”

He enlisted in September, 1963, serving on the Recovery from April 1964 to October 1967 during the Vietnam War.

While Huff was at sea, he saw Greenland, Iceland, Newfoundland, Norther Europe and the Caribbean.

He was an Engineman Second Class, which translated into being a diesel mechanic.

Huff said the Recovery pulled forces from the beach following amphibious assaults along with rescuing other ships.

John Cyprian, county veterans services director, said Huff was well-deserving of the honor.

“He’s a great choice,” Cyprian said. “Ron is a modest guy.”

A selection committee picked Huff, who is the 37th Veteran of the Year for the county.

“It really touched me,” he said. “I was overwhelmed.”

He is a past commander of the Chicora American Legion Post 624.

Huff conducts Veterans Day presentations at elementary and high schools as well as medical centers and retirement homes.

He takes donated clothing, household items and food left over from organizational dinners to the Mechling-Shakley Veterans Center in Cowansville, Armstrong County.

Along with being a member of the Moose Lodge 962 for 27 years, Huff was appointed by the Pennsylvania Moose Association as the Pennsylvania Moose Association Veterans chairman.

In this role, Huff will aid veterans belonging to lodges across the state.

He helped organize homecoming events in the Chicora area for returning veterans serving in Iran.

Huff also organized a $100,000 project renovating the Chicora Community Honor Roll in 2010 and a $17,000 collection for the national Wounded Warriors project in 2011.

His other community work includes being a charter representative for the Boy Scouts of America in Chicora.

Huff worked 37 years for Armco before retiring.

He lives in the borough with his wife, Patricia, and son, Adam, 29.

His four other children also live in the county: Michelle Slagle, 49, of Bruin, Sherry Stroup, 47, of Chicora, Ronald G. Huff, 44, of Butler and Jason Huff, 39, of Bruin.

Ronald and Patricia have 10 grandchildren and one great grandchild.