Woodrow Wilson Barr

Woodrow Wilson Barr
Born	(1918-06-08)June 8, 1918 Keyser, West Virginia
Died	KIA at Tulagi
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Marine Corps
Years of service	1942
Rank	Private First Class
Unit	1st Raider Battalion
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Silver Star Purple Heart

Woodrow Wilson Barr (June 8, 1918 – August 7, 1942) was a United States Marine with the 1st Marine Raider Battalion. He was killed in action at Tulagi, Solomon Islands, August 7, 1942 — and was posthumously awarded the Silver Star medal for his "conspicuous gallantry and intrepedity in action" during the action at Tulagi.

Biography

Woodrow Barr was born on June 8, 1918 in Keyser, West Virginia. He graduated from Parsons High School; and following graduation worked for four years before enlisting in the U.S. Marine Corps on January 13, 1942. He completed his recruit training at Parris Island, South Carolina, followed by training at Quantico.

He was deployed to the Pacific Theatre as a part of the 1st Marine Raider Battalion. Barr was one of 45 Marines who were killed in action during the U.S. recapture of Tulagi from the Japanese on August 7, 1942.

Awards and decorations

Barr was posthumously awarded the Silver Star and the Purple Heart.

Namesake

The USS Barr (APD-39), a United States Navy Buckley-class destroyer escort commissioned in 1944, was named for Woodrow Wilson Barr. In 2012, legislation introduced to the West Virginia House of Delegates by Representative Gary Howell of Mineral County, named a bridge on US Route 50 in Burlington in honor of Barr.

References

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.

• Woodrow Wilson Barr, Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Naval Historical Center, Department of the Navy. Retrieved on 2006-07-17.

• . Contains obituary of PFC Woodrow Barr, who was from Tucker County, West Virginia.