Private First Class John Wesley Hutto, A Soldier's Story
Private First Class John Wesley Hutto, A Soldier's Story
Private First Class John Wesley Hutto was born on August 3, 1971, in Andalusia, Alabama. Known as Wes to his family and friends, he grew up in southern Alabama and attended Pleasant Home High School. Remembered for his sense of humor and love of reading, he also enjoyed hunting, fishing, and spending time with his family.
During his senior year of high school, Hutto enlisted in the United States Army through the Delayed Entry Program. After graduation, he left for Fort Benning, Georgia, where he trained as an 11M mechanized infantryman, preparing for combat operations with the Bradley Fighting Vehicle.
Hutto was assigned to Company C, 3rd Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized). In September 1990, he deployed to Saudi Arabia as part of Operation Desert Shield, the American-led military buildup following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait.
By February 1991, Hutto and his fellow soldiers were participating in Operation Desert Storm. The 24th Infantry Division advanced into southern Iraq during the coalition ground offensive, engaging Iraqi forces and securing strategic positions.
On February 27, 1991, Hutto was riding in a Bradley Fighting Vehicle during the Battle of Jalibah Airfield. During the engagement, his vehicle was mistakenly struck by a 120-millimeter round fired from an American tank. The friendly-fire incident severely wounded several soldiers, including Hutto. He died from his injuries at the age of nineteen, just one day before the coalition cease-fire.
Three days before his death, Hutto's family had received what would become his final letter home. Quoting Psalm 23, the young soldier wrote:
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.”
He then reassured his mother:
“Mom, I fear no evil — none whatsoever.”
His words were preserved in a March 11, 1991, newspaper article, Last Letters Home from GIs, published by The Washington Post and reprinted in The Plain Dealer.
His school and community remembered Private First Class John Wesley Hutto, honoring his memory with a portrait and scholarship at Pleasant Home High School.
He was nineteen years old when he lost his life during Operation Desert Storm. His service, sacrifice, and final words to his mother remain part of the legacy of the Americans who gave their lives during the Gulf War.
He rests at Salem Baptist Church Cemetery in Covington County, Alabama.
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**About the Author**
a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller traveling through life
She shares her journeys at Take the Back Roads, explores new reads at Rite of Fancy, and highlights U.S. military biographies at Everyday Patriot.
You can also browse her online photography gallery at shop.takethebackroads.com.
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