Heroes Amongst Us – United States Air Force Howard & Heidi Huber

Heroes Amongst Us – United States Air Force Howard & Heidi Huber

At this time of year, patriotism for our country fills our hearts and spirits! On Memorial Day, we pray for those many men and women who lost their lives protecting our freedoms. The Fourth of July brings joy as we celebrate the independence that those serving in our United States military have made possible. Those incredible individuals are my heroes!

Howard and Heidi Huber are among them!

Previously, I have shared with you stories of other great members of our dog world and their military service, including: Robin Stansell, Chris Sweetwood, Jean Heath, Joe Purkheiser, Larry Sorenson, Butch Schulman, Larry Wilson, Ted Hollander, Cary Manaton, Lisa Boyer, Bob Forsyth, and my own father, Roy Ayers. While visiting with Howard Huber at this year’s Clemson Kennel Club shows, I was delighted to discover that both he and his wife Heidi served in our United States Air Force.

Howard explains how it all began:

My first memory of exhibiting dogs, I was seven years old. I showed a young brindle Boxer bitch named Lisa. My parents, Howard and Grace Huber, were breeders and exhibitors of Boxers. So, as a young child, I was very fortunate to be able to watch the best Boxer handlers from across the country. Heidi and I were looking for a hobby, so we went to my mother’s kennel and took one of her show prospects home and began showing together in 1983.

I joined the United States Air Force in 1980 when I was 17. I went through basic training at Lackland AFB Texas after completing basic training. I was then transferred to Sheppard Air Force Base School of Healthcare and Science, Wichita Falls, Texas, where I was trained as a Dental Technician. It was there I met Heidi Mahler. Heidi was training as a Medical Technician. We married at the Court House in Wichita Falls on May 29, 1981.

In July of 1981, we had orders for Homestead AFB Florida. It was there our first child was born, Howard Huber III, named after my father. Howie showed in Juniors all of his youth, constantly studying and learning. He has shown a wide variety of breeds and is very talented and has great hands on a dog.

We transferred from Homestead AFB to Dover AFB Delaware in July 1983. By September of 1983, our second son, Erik D. Huber, was born at the base hospital. Although Erik was not as interested in showing dogs, he did work with Jemar Pet Supplies at the shows. Erik is a heavy equipment operator and supports his wife, Kendra Huber, in all aspects with her breeding program. Kendra is a respected English Setter breeder and handler. Kendra was 19 years old when she piloted her personal dog to Best of Breed at the English Setter National under world-renowned Judge Mr. Terry Stacy.

Our third son, Jonathan M. Huber, was born at Dover AFB. Jonathan also worked for Jemar Pet Supplies. Jonny has worked as a mechanic in the dairy milking parlor installation, and more recently, he is a Volkswagen mechanic near Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Jonathan met his wife, Jessica Jolly Huber, a Clinical Psychologist from Melbourne, a young lady who was breeding English Springer Spaniels with Kaye McGee in Australia. Jess was traveling the world, finishing her beautiful dog, the legendary Darby; Jess came to our home in Pennsylvania and finished Darby’s AKC championship in short order.

When Jess left America for her home in Australia, Jonathan left with her. After a few years, they married on March 2, 2018. We were there for the wedding. It was a great adventure for us.

Getting back to my military career, I served in the USAF Dental Service for 20 years; 18 of those years at Dover AFB. I had opportunities to assist with root canal treatments on military working dogs. I was a part of the Dental Forensics Identification team, made up of Dentists and Technicians. While working at the Port Mortuary, we would fall under the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology out of Washington DC. We worked alongside the FBI which would do fingerprinting. During this time, very few members had DNA, so dental identification was extremely important. Our mission was to positively identify every fallen military member through dental X-rays, so they could be returned to their loved ones.

The Huber’s successful careers in our sport have been phenomenal. Look for them in the winners circles with an amazing dog on the end of the leash! Let us celebrate this great couple for their service to our country and their many decades of excellence in American Kennel Club sports.

For all of those heroes amongst us, we at SHOWSIGHT pay tribute and give special thanks for your service to our country! God Bless the United States of America!