World War II Honoree

William Kyle Barbour

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Ringgold, Virginia

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Rank: Gunner’s Mate Third Class. He was inducted into the United States Navy September 24, 1940 at Richmond, Virginia, with recruit training at the U.S. Naval Training Station Newport, Rhode Island. After completing boot camp and Gunnery training, he was transferred to the USS Juneau Cruiser, CL-52 for duty as a Gunner and was on board when it was commissioned; also considered a ‘Plank Owner’ as he was a member of the Commissioning Crew. On August 7, 1942 the Cruiser and her shipmates, along with an armada of U.S. Battleships, Destroyers and other Cruisers, arrived off-shore of Guadalcanal, South Pacific Theater of Operations in support of the impending invasion. Reported missing in action, lost at sea Friday, November 13, 1942 when his warship was torpedoed, and sunk by an Imperial Japanese Submarine during the Naval Battle. His name is permanently inscribed in the tablets of the missing, memorialized at the American Cemetery at Fort William-McKinley in Manila, Philippine Islands. This American Patriot was awarded the Purple Heart posthumously, for his ultimate sacrifice in defense of his country.