R. P. Hunnicutt

Richard Pearce Hunnicutt (June 15, 1926 – April 29, 2011) was an American historian, known for his research in armored fighting vehicles.

Hunnicutt was born in Asheville, N.C., to James Ballard Hunnicutt and Ida Belle Black. He altered his birth certificate to enlist in the U.S. Army in September 1943. He fought at Leyte and in April 1945 at Okinawa where he was promoted to sergeant and earned the Silver Star. After the war he was stationed in Frankfurt, Germany.

He earned a master's degree in engineering from Stanford University and later worked at General Motors. He met his future wife Susan Haight in Detroit. Later he worked as a metallurgist, consultant and partner in an engineering firm, ANAMET Laboratories. Hunnicutt was a nationally recognized expert in metal fatigue.

Hunnicutt was one of the founders of the U.S. Army Ordnance Museum at Aberdeen Proving Ground and a frequent contributor to the Patton Museum at Fort Knox.

Hunnicutt is mainly known for his research in the history and development of American armored fighting vehicles. He authored many books on American military vehicles.

Historian Steven Zaloga described the multi-volume study as "essential cornerstone for anyone interested in U.S. tank history".

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