US Navy to name destroyer after 'fearless' marine who saved his company during Vietnam war
A US Marine Corps veteran who earned a Medal of Honor during the Vietnam war for saving his company by leading a heroic counterattack against the enemy and evacuating dead and wounded comrades is to have a future US Navy destroyer named after him.
Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Harvey C Barnum Jr, named after retired Marine Corps Colonel Harvey C Barnum Jr, was christened during a ceremony on 29 July.
The ship's namesake, who was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1965 for "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty", said in an interview with the Congressional Medal of Honor Society he feels like a custodian of the medal, saying: "[I'm] a caretaker for those who died to help the man, the Marine, the Corpsman, on their left and their right.
"If they hadn't had done what they did in that battle that day that caused them to be killed, we might not have been successful, so they're all part of this and they always will be."
In the interview, the veteran is adamant that any honour bestowed on him isn't just "Barney Barnum that's being honored" but a way to pay respect to those who died on 18 December 1965.
On that fateful day, 1st Lieutenant Harvey C 'Barney' Barnum Jr was attached to Hotel Company, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines as a Forward Observer at Ky Phu in Quang Tin Province, Vietnam.
Operation Harvest Moon
The men joined forces with 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines on day four of the 11-day Operation Harvest Moon, a pre-planned ambush that quickly descended into a rescue operation.
While walking out of the mountains to Route One – the main road going from north to south Vietnam – the rear element were ambushed.
At first, the Vietnamese shot Captain Gormley, the Company Commander and then set their sights on the radio operator.
This was the first time 1st Lt Barnum Jr had encountered hostile gunfire, so he fell to the ground for protection.
However, he quickly realised he was surrounded by young marines who needed guidance, and, without the company commander to look to, someone needed to step up to the plate, so he assumed command and called in the artillery.
At this stage, he saw his Scout Sergeant, PFC McClain and Corpsman Doctor, Wesley Burrard, run past him to protect the Company Commander and radio operator from intensive machine-gun fire – both men were also shot several times.
Beyond the call of duty
It was time to take action so, like the men before him, 1st Lt Barnum Jr risked his life to bring the Company Commander back to a safer position.
Of this intense moment, he said: "He was alive, we talked and he died in my arms. And then I ran out and helped the Corpsman back, Doc West."
After the death of the Company Commander, 1st Lt Barnum Jr took the radio off the now dead operator, strapped it to himself and called the Tank Commander saying he, a Marine Corps 1st Lieutenant, was assuming command of the company.
In his interview with the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Colonel (Retired) Harvey C Barnum Jr revealed what it was like in that moment, when suddenly all eyes were on him, saying: "I found out that these young marines who were pinned down and scared – anybody who says they aren't scared when they got shot at is full of baloney – all they need is direction.
"When I started doing things and saying... 'follow me and do this', they got motivation going and then all they wanted was someone to give them direction."
Time to lead the attack
"They knew I was a Lieutenant and Lieutenants give orders and they follow orders so, at that point, I launched a counter-attack on that trench line to our right and that was very successful."
Rallying his troops, 1st Lt Barnum Jr organised the defeat of the enemy force in terrible weather.
Due to Vietnam's rice paddies and rain-saturated ground, marines often suffered from immersion foot, an injury caused by damp, cold conditions which would swell feet up, causing them to blister and bleed and, in extreme cases, would require an airlift for immediate medical attention.
It became clear that a swift evacuation of the dead and wounded was needed as ammunition was running low and people were dying.
Col (Ret'd) Barnum Jr said: "I didn't think our chances were going to be very good if we stayed there so I had the engineers blow some trees down to make a landing zone and I brought in H34 helicopters to take out the dead and the wounded."
Swift decisions saved lives
Seeing that the men under his command were exhausted, 1st Lt Barnum Jr instructed them to explode equipment that wasn't working, such as radios and machine guns, to lighten the load they were all carrying.
That way, if a marine fell on the battlefield while running to safety in a nearby village, another could stop to carry him to safety.
He said: "Marines don't leave anybody on the battlefield.
"Someone drops, you pick them up and bring them with you."
The next day, 1st Lt Barnum Jr discovered he had been recommended for a Medal of Honor by General Waltz, causing him to drop the coffee cup he had been holding in surprise.
'There were no superstars'
Nearly six decades later, Col (Ret'd) Barnum wears his Medal of Honor with pride and to honour the "great Marines and Corpsmen that fought with me on the battlefield that day".
He views his Medal of Honor as an award for all who died or were seriously wounded in that seven-hour battle which saw them defend themselves against what he says were ten times the number of men on the Vietnamese side.
He said: "There were no superstars. I happened to be the quarterback calling the plays.
"They were the linemen, doing what linemen do to open up the hole or take out a machine gun, open up the holes so we could get down the field, take the objective.
"It's like on the Monday after Super Bowl Sunday, whose name you see in the paper, the quarterback, you don't see the lineman's name.
"So, I've worn this... in honor of those Corpsmen and young Marines that I had the opportunity to lead on the field of battle that day.
"Anytime I put this medal on, I think of them and any actions that I do or decisions I make, I make it in their name.
"It's a heavy burden sometimes but I feel like I'm a caretaker of this medal.
"A caretaker for those who died to help the man, the Marine, the Corpsman on their left and their right.
"If they hadn't had done what they did in that battle that day that caused them to be killed, we might not have been successful.
"So, they're all part of this and they always will be."
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