Carlton W Barrett

On episode two hundred and fifty-six, the story of Carlton W Barrett is told. All stories in November and December will be recipients from World War 2. Be sure to visit our website for more information as the show goes on at: www.talesofhonorpodcast.com. Thanks for listening and be sure to share with friends and family!

In Fulton, New York, Carlton was born on the 24th of November, 1919. A month before his twenty-first birthday, he enlisted in the US Army from Albany, New York, and while not much is known about his early life and service, we do know that he stood about five feet and four inches and weighed in at 125 pounds. Carlton was deployed to Europe and was part of the Allied Invasion at Normandy on D-Day and it was his actions on that day with the 18th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division, that would earn him the Medal of Honor. The citation reads:

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 lying 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.

Carlton himself was wounded during these actions, as one would imagine, yet he continued to run up and down Omaha Beach. He received the Medal of Honor on the 17th of November, 1944 in a ceremony at Paris and would be only one of four to receive the Medal for actions on D-Day, along with Jimmie Monteith Jr, John Pinder, and Theodore Roosevelt Jr. Carlton continued to serve in the Army until his retirement as a Staff Sergeant in June of 1963 and not much else is known about his later life. Carlton William Barrett died on the 3rdof May, 1986, at the age of 66 and is buried in the Napa Valley Memorial Park and Mortuary in Napa, California.