World War II Honoree

John Leroy Barr

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Hometown

Belvedere, South Dakota

Honored By

Gary Farwell

Relationship

Friend

He enlisted in the U.S. Army on 29 December 1944 from Belvedere, South Dakota and was inducted at Fort Snelling, Minnesota for basic training and became a cook. On 15 January 1945 he was sent to the 65th Infantry Training Battalion at Camp Wolters, Texas for basic infantry training for the invasion of Japan. He arrived at Fort Benning, Georgia on 28 April 1945 for additional training as a parachutist and earned his Jump Wings on 6 June 1945 after which he departed from San Diego, California for the Philippine Island of Luzon. A combat jump in and around Tokyo was anticipated to disrupt command and control, but the war was won and the 11th Airborne Division stayed in the Philippine Islands as part of the occupation force. He served as a cook and hospital orderly at Camp John Hay in Bagio. After about a year he was sent to Yamagata, Japan where he continued to serve in a medical unit. During his time in Japan he visited the atomic bomb drop sites in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He was returned to the 86th Station Hospital at Fort Lewis, Washington and discharged from the Army on 17 September 1946 with the rank of PFC. His awards and badges include: The Army of Occupation Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Service Medal, WWII Victory medal, Good Conduct Medal, Marksmanship Badge M-1 Rifle and Parachutist Badge.