On Dec. 18, 1965, then-1stLt. Harvey Barnum was serving as an artillery forward observer with Company H, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines in Vietnam. The company suddenly became pinned down by a hail of accurate enemy fire and separated from the remainder of the battalion by over 500 meters of open and fire-swept ground. Casualties mounted rapidly. 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 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. For his gallant initiative and heroic conduct, Barnum received the Medal of Honor. After 27 years of service, he retired as a Colonel. (U.S. Marine Corps photos)
Marine of the Week
Now This is the Vietnam Vet Bad Ass!! Hey Murray What is the LT wearing? Looks like a flak jacket! H co 2/9. Wearing standard utilities ( No Jungles), also has what looks like an M-14. Hmmm. Maybe only officers got flak jackets in 65-66 . just messin with you Murray!
Nick, you can check a lot off the early real pictures in Vietnam, they don’t have flak jackets, and I never saw an officer carry the M14, not saying he didn’t, I did, until I think it was Aug67. Officers I saw had shotguns and 45’s and the M-16. You have to remember pictures are to make you think and let you make your own justification of what you think. They don’t say when the picture is from or where, they leave it to us to assume when and where, and when we assume, you know what that means. Still having fun, Happy 4th Nick. Murray 1371 2July67 was with L 3/9 trying to save what was left off A&B 1/9 check it out Operation Buffalo. No bad asses there.
Looks pretty bad ass to me! There is the T-shirt for bad ass Vets. Does not look staged to me. some one else must be carrying his ammo though., unless he just happened to be holding the 14 for someone. Is he standing by an Amtrac?
Man, that is some “Chesty Puller” shit. Oohh Raha marine!
I had the distinct honor and pleasure of serving with Col. Barnum while assigned to U.S. Central Command in the early 1980’s. He was in the Operations Directorate, CCJ3, while I was with the Communications Directorate, CCJ6. We worked together with many others to prepare the boiler-plate plans and strategy for middle east wars that were yet to come. I last saw “Barney” at the Marine Corps Birthday parade held at the Iwo Jima Memorial and 2d Battalion/9th Marines Reunion on 10 Nov 2015. No finer Marine ever served. Semper Fi!!! Top Pro
His story reads like a movie script embellished to make a larger than life real American hero. But this is no Hollywood script. Real Marines. Real Hero. Colonel Barnum MOH RECIPIENT REAL AMERICAN HERO! OOHHH-RAH!
A great story, and true valor! Was also wondering why he was not wearing a C.A.R. until I looked it up. The C.A.R. was not authorized until Feb 1969 and only for Marines below the rank of Capt. ( It was made retroactive to Dec. 7 1941) SEMPER FI! Bill 0331
Is that why CAR is not in my DD-214? I was discharged in 68. How do i get it added to my record? Paul S
Hey Paul S. You can download and file form DD-149 to correct your records. Send to NPRC in St. Louis and if they find you rate it they will send the upgraded DD-215 with any additional awards you may have earned but did not receive during your service. Include as much info on actions (dates, locations etc..) It could be worth the few minutes it takes to do it. There were some awards that our unit earned that I was not aware of. some will say, “Ah who gives a crap “! Good Luck Paul. Semper Fi! Harry 1371
Thanks Harry, I will give it a try. Our state offers a Combat action plate , would be proud to be able to get one Thanks Semper Fi Paul S.
I served as a Marine, Jan 15 , 1956 to Jan 15, 1959. By the grace of God and my Father I did not serve in Vietnam . I never was tested and often thought how I would be in combat. Always came back to the same conclusion, with Officers as leaders with such dedication to the Core I believe I would depend on them to bring me home.
Barney is a outstanding Marine and his helping of wounded continues every day!
In my experience all Nam pictures were staged…that is, they were taken in the rear. Certainly not in the midst of action. I have one of me holding a skull and holding an AK-47. When you’re 21 it’s important to look “bad-ass”
Memories: I trained for a year (OCS, TBS) with the M-14. When I got to Nam (1968 they gave me a M-16. Don’t think I had ever seen one. So all my Platoon have a weapon I am totally unfamiliar with. Hell of a plan!
My first assignment (3/27) had a standing order that every squad have one member carry an M-14. So much for confidence in the new weapon for the new Lt. !
Honored to have had then Major Barnum as a senior instructor in The Basic School in 1970.
Semper Fi Marine! Outstanding job!
Thank God all Marine officers are infantry trained at TBS. IF this was an Army unit the odds are a field artillery officer would have had no clue about what to do.
his story inspires us to persevere and continue to fight the good fight! SF/JSM
Harvey Barnum was born and raised in Cheshire, CT. I moved to Cheshire in 1974. The town has honored him over the years with our parks and other sites named for him. His heroism has been know in this town, the state and our country for many years. It is very nice to see Sgt Grit select him as the Marine of the Week. That’s the stuff of a true hero.
Toby Brimberg
USMCR – 1962-1968
Goes to prove even though an FO every Marine is a combat infantry Marine. Outstanding service Col.
R. D. Rebeiro, USMC
VIET NAM 5/65 – 6/66
ALPHA 1/4 – ECHO 2/7
The heroism of 1st Lt Barnum was told to us training at Ft Sill in 1982. We all aspired to live up to his example. Semper Fi.
Lt. Harvey Barnum is what I consider a Marines Marine. Wish I would have met leaders like him. Leaders I had liked to give orders from the rear. I would have followed a leader like Lt. Barnum to hell and back. Semper Fi
Major Harvey Barnum was my OIC in 12th Marines FSCC when I checked in my section chief a MGYSGT introduced me to the major and said he would help me check in. The MGYSGT was an alcoholic and we went on a drinking binge until the next morning. I slept all that day and went to work the next morning. I walk in and see the major and the MGYSGT who yells “Damn Gunny I help you check in and you go UA for a day!” He tells me to go to Hq.Btry check in you are going to Camp Fuji to join your unit. The next time I see my former OIC is at Quantico and he is in front of me in line at the PX and he corrects the cashier telling her officers in uniform have head of line priority. I did not speak to him as I was embarrassed. Sorry Colonel about Okinawa. I see you all the time at MOH events on Fox News. Respectfully MGYSGT ILIFFE (Ret)
The article didn’t mention that he was an F.O. from E-2-12. I was a Scout/F.O. with the same battery and was there at the time of his action but not with him.
Raymond Edwards Sgt Maj USMC Ret 1966-1996
In 1979 I returned as a GySgt for a second tour as a Drill Instructor at PISC. in “A” Co 1st Bn. under the command of Lt. Col Ron Christmas Navy Cross, (War Hero at Hue City). In 2nd Bn was Lt. Col Harvey Barnum, MOH (War Hero) and in 3rd Bn. was Lt. Col James Livingston, MOH (War Hero). I was almost always (privleged to be selected) in Col Christmas Bn. Staff on a Friday Afternoon Parade. Col Christmas would march us out on the Parade Deck and leave us standing at Attention and march himself down to and salute both Lt. Col’s Barnum and Livingston and return to give us Parade Rest. In the summer time when the Black Flag would be lowered about 10 min before the start of the Parade and the Grey one raised. You been there you know what I am talking about.
Oohh but I loved those day’s not the humidity in the summer.
I landed in Vietnam from Okinawa with H Company 2/9. We all had flag jackets similar to what are the Lieutenant is wearing. Thing is we all had them unbuttoned like that until the first marine got shot in the chest then we all snapped them shut, didn’t take much to convince us of what we needed to do. I transferred to 1/9 The Walking Dead, actually before we even got that name, and missed this battle. 2 Corman and myself made a three man who Hooch in the forward area out of sand bags and ponchos. One got shot in the head on patrol and later on the other one got transferred to H Company 2/9, my old company. He got shot three times trying to save my old company commander that was mortally wounded. Then on 22 December I took two bullets and one went through my pant leg and miss me on operation Harvest Moon. So I was over there real close to what was happening. He was a first lieutenant and only two weeks in country I believe when he was attached to my old company H Company 2/9.
Now to critique the picture this I don’t believe as a Vietnam picture. I think this is a picture of him taken during training. He has a white watch, A ring may be graduation from college, first Lieutenant bar showing on the collar, officers did not wear the rank on the collar. That is not an Amtrak behind him, it’s a GP tent I believe. When we landed in Vietnam we had GP tents to use and that’s where we stored sea bags with all of our stuff while we were on the front lines. It does look like he’s holding his thumb on the muzzle of the flash suppressor of an M 14 rifle which probably would’ve been used during a training mission. Most of the officers carried carbines and pistols. If you look really close you can see that the picture is blurred out on both sides and there’s someone standing on his right that has been blurred out. So for these reasons I believe this was just a picture that was archived and pulled up for this tribute. Since I was in another battalion I never got a chance to meet him. Sure would’ve been great to meet a hero like that.
Semper Fi 63-68
Perfect weekend for this post, don’t you think?
The Lt. IS wearing a sidearm (note the cartridge belt). Nothing staged here: notice the clean shave, clean hands, creased utilities (LOL). When I got medevaced out we were still wearing utilities, flak jackets, and carried an M-14 with the starlight mounted on it if we had the manpower, always looked to a squad leader named Scotty to be carrying a shotgun (now that’s humpin’ some ammo). That shotgun blast in the middle of the night scared the bejesus out of them.
For you men that know him, is he still healthy and kickin’ ass?
Semper Fi!, Happy 4th
Colonel Barnum is retires and to my best knowledge he lives in the D.C. Quantico area. See him on Fox news whenever some one receives the MOH. Check you tube.com
Thought he looked familiar and looked in my Boot Camp “year book/cruise book” (whatever we called it, can’t remember). LtCol Barnum was the Battalion Commander when I went through Boot Camp in 1980, Platoon 2083. Good Marines are everywhere and then there are great ones.
Semper Fi.