|
Rank and organization: Private, U.S. Army, 18th Infantry, 1st Infantry
Division. Place and date: Near St. Laurent-sur-Mer, France, 6 June 1944.
Entered service at: Albany, N.Y. Birth: Fulton, N.Y. G.O. No.: 78, 2 October
1944. Citation: For gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above
and beyond the call of duty on 6 June 1944, in the vicinity of St. Laurent-sur-Mer,
France. On the morning of D-day Pvt. Barrett, landing in the face of extremely
heavy enemy fire, was forced to wade ashore through neck-deep water. Disregarding
the personal danger, he returned to the surf again and again to assist
his floundering comrades and save them from drowning. Refusing to remain
pinned down by the intense barrage of small-arms and mortar fire poured
at the landing points, Pvt. Barrett, working with fierce determination,
saved many lives by carrying casualties to an evacuation boat Iying offshore.
In addition to his assigned mission as guide, he carried dispatches the
length of the fire-swept beach; he assisted the wounded; he calmed the
shocked; he arose as a leader in the stress of the occasion. His coolness
and his dauntless daring courage while constantly risking his life during
a period of many hours had an inestimable effect on his comrades and is
in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Army.
This data was extracted from the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, U.S. Senate, Medal of Honor Recipients: 1863-1973 (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1973)
| | |