Harvey C Barnum Jr
Harvey C Barnum Jr was born on the 21st of July 1940 in Cheshire, CT, where he also played football and baseball for the Cheshire High School. Harvey was president of his freshman and senior classes and was also a Boy Scout. After high school, Harvey went on to Saint Anselm College in Goffstown, NH, where he would join the Marine Corps' Platoon Leaders Class program for two Summer sessions. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics in June of 1962, Harvey was commissioned a Marine Reserve second lieutenant.
Harvey attended the Basic School at Marine Corps Schools in Quantico, Virginia and in December of 1962 he began the Artillery Officers Orientation Course. After graduating, he was attached to Battery A, 1st Battalion, 12th Marines, 3rd Marine Division at Okinawa, Japan, where he served as a forward observer and later as the Battalion's liaison officer. After assignments in Japan, Spain, and Hawaii, Harvey would serve on temporary duty in Vietnam as an artillery forward observer with Company H, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines, 3rd Marine Division. It was his actions on the 18th of December, 1965 that would earn him the Medal of Honor. The citation reads:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as Forward Observer for Artillery, while attached to Company H, Second Battalion, Ninth Marines, Third Marine Division (Reinforced), in action against communist forces at Ky Phu in Quang Tin Province, Republic of Vietnam, on 18 December 1965. When the company was suddenly pinned down by a hail of extremely accurate enemy fire and was quickly separated from the remainder of the battalion by over five hundred meters of open and fire-swept ground, and casualties mounted rapidly, Lieutenant Barnum quickly made a hazardous reconnaissance of the area seeking targets for his artillery. Finding the rifle company commander mortally wounded and the radio operator killed, he, with complete disregard for his own safety, gave aid to the dying commander, then removed the radio from the dead operator and strapped it to himself. He immediately assumed command of the rifle company, and moving at once into the midst of the heavy fire, rallying and giving encouragement to all units, reorganized them to replace the loss of key personnel and led their attack on enemy positions from which deadly fire continued to come. His sound and swift decisions and his obvious calm served to stabilize the badly decimated units and his gallant example as he stood exposed repeatedly to point out targets served as an inspiration to all. Provided with two armed helicopters, he moved fearlessly through enemy fire to control the air attack against the firmly entrenched enemy while skillfully directing one platoon in a successful counterattack in the key enemy positions. Having thus cleared a small area, he requested and directed the landing of two transport helicopters for the evacuation of the dead and wounded. He then assisted in the mopping up and final seizure of the battalion's objective. His gallant initiative and heroic conduct reflected great credit upon himself and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and United States Naval Service.
After Harvey had returned to Hawaii, he was promoted to Captain and went on to attend the Associate Field Artillery Officer Career Course in Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Harvey would receive the medal of Honor from the Secretary of the Navy on the 27th of February, 1967. In October of 1968, Harvey returned to Vietnam with Battery E, 2nd Battalion, 12th Marines, 3rd Marine Division and would remain there until October of 1969, receiving a Bronze Star with Combat V and Gold Start devices, the Navy Achievement Medal with Combat V device, a Purple Heart, the Combat Action Ribbon, and the Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Silver Star device.
After this tour and returning home from Okinawa, Harvey was assigned to be the weapons instructor at the Basic School, Marine Corps Development and Education Command at Quantico until he entered the Amphibious Warfare School in August of 1970. Harvey retired from the Marine Corps in August of 1989 after more than 27 years and as a colonel. Harvey went on to serve as the principal director of the Drug Enforcement Policy, Office of the Secretary of Defense, president of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Reserve Affairs. Harvey C Barnum Jr was the fourth Marine to receive the Medal of Honor during the Vietnam War and in July of 2016, the US Navy named its newest destroyer, the USS Harvey C Barnum Jr.
