World War II Honoree

Rex T. Barber

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Culver, Oregon

Honored By

Ralph Bozorth

HE SERVED WITH THE 70TH FIGHTER SQUADRON, 35TH FIGHTER GROUP BASED AT HAMILTON FIELD, CALIFORNIA, THE FIJI ISLANDS AND GUADALCANAL. HE FLEW BOTH P-39S AND P-38S AND PARTICIPATED IN THE FLIGHT TO BOUGAINVILLE AND SHOT DOWN THE BOMBER CARRYING THE ADMIRAL OF THE JAPANESE FLEET. FROM LATE 1943 TO EARLY 1944, HE FLEW P-38S WITH THE 449TH FIGHTER SQUADRON, 23RD FIGHTER GROUP IN CHINA, WHERE HE WAS SHOT DOWN, INJURED, BUT NOT CAPTURED. IN JANUARY 1945 HE WAS ASSIGNED TO THE 412TH FIGHTER SQUADRON, 29TH FIGHTER GROUP AT OXNARD, CALIFORNIA AND FLEW AND TESTED FOR COMBAT AMERICA'S 1ST OPERATIONAL JET FIGHTER, THE P-80 SHOOTING STAR. HE FLEW 110 COMBAT MISSIONS FROM GUADALCANAL AND 28 FROM CHINA AND IS CREDITED WITH 5 CONFIRMED KILLS. HE WAS AWARDED THE PURPLE HEART, NUMEROUS AIR MEDALS, 2 SILVER STARS, NAVY CROSS, ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN MEDAL AND THE WORLD WAR II VICTORY MEDAL. HE RETIRED WITH THE RANK OF COLONEL.