Makes you wonder what’s in people’s heads
However, here’s an article written about him the other day in his hometown;
Barger entered the military in 1951 in Kentucky and fought in the Korean War. He said he didn’t have the pleasure of driving a vehicle like the one he owns today, but traveled by foot through the mountains as a part of the Second Inventory Division.
“I like my silver star the most because it’s not the highest, but I remember well the day I was awarded that,” he said.
Yeah, the 2d Inventory Division, my old unit when I was in the 10th Messkit Repair Company. That was probably the journalist’s fault though, I don’t blame Barger for that. What I do blame him for is wearing a Distinguished Service Cross, he’s not listed in the Home of Heroes and it’s not in his records. He’s also wearing Sergeant First Class rank (and it looks a little small to be for a male uniform), and the Drill Sergeant badge with just 22 months in service. At least 12 of those months had to have been in Korea, and six months of entry training and movement to Korea, when did he find time to to be a drill sergeant.
Further in the article;
Larry Corum, a retired Air Force Lt. Colonel, read of Barger’s wartime bravery. “He (Barger) was directly responsible for saving the man’s life.”
The document was a citation to accompany the award for the silver star from the U.S. government and signed by Wilbur Wilson, U.S. Army chief of staff.
Funny thing about that, Wilbur Wilson has never been Army Chief of Staff. During the Korean War the ACoS was either Generals J. Lawton Collins or Matthew Ridgeway. Wilbur Wilson was a colonel in the 2 Infantry Division. But if Barger was in the 2d Infantry (or Inventory) Division, why is he wearing a 3rd Armor Division patch?
Well, AverageNCO sent me the article, and then noticed later that Barger is listed in POW Network‘s Hall of Shame and he’s been there since 2008. Maybe Magen McCrarey who wrote the article for the Sentinel Echo might have checked the internet before spreading this guy’s lies.
But, I’m wondering why in the world, if this Barger has a Silver Star and Purple Heart, would he lie about the other things?
Category: Phony soldiers
This guy looks so old, I’m thinking he may not be all there.
DB #1: knock off that OLD stuff. Otherwise this tail is bizarre by any measure.
Speaking of not there by the NDSM a ribbion is missing.
Get a life lilyea
E-Mail incoming to you Jonn. I sent off an E-Mail to the reporter and BCC’d you on it.
Wazza matta, OG? Summer school got you down?
Why is it NEVER enough with these guys? EVER?
Teleprompter Jesus’ slavish disciple has directed you to “get a life.” Whatever shall you do?
Zero, hey the guy HAS a silver star right? I’m not trying to be a dick, when you get old your memory of such events gets altered. Its a sad process but it would not be uncommon for a man of his age to be suffering from dementia. Its sad but not unreasonable.
There are also people who can’t stand to become irrelevent. The world moves on, events change, we age, and then one day we look around…and find our day is past and gone, and the young people are the ones on center stage. That can be a bitter pill to swallow — and I think some people simply choke on it.
Sparky, OG didn’t get out of summer school, it got good time off from it’s last arrest, and is now back in mom’s basement.
OH, and a minor thing, he’s got the infantry cord on the wrong shoulder, I do believe.
There is not much right about that uniform or the decorations except the shoes are brown. The rest of it makes me gag. I don’t care if the guy is senile now, he has probably been impersonating since he was young and someone needs to tell him to take that stuff off and go home. I want to see his DD 214 or whatever the form number was during the Korean War.
Am I wrong, or does the Air Force lieutenant colonel have tanker boots?
North you are indeed correct the Infantry cord is on the wrong shoulder.
As for being old and perhaps senile well that’s why you have others around to help you make sure to get it right. If he is suffering from dementia/Alzheimer’s then the family or friends who should be helping him are as culpable in this as he is. It was posted that he has been listed on LOW net for several years now so I somehow doubt this is a sudden thing.
er POW not LOW
The chevrons in question are the experimental chevrons used by the U.S. Army from 948-1951
“During the period 1948-1951 the Army experimented with two-inch chevrons, originally as an economy measure. Combat units wore gold on blue and noncombat units wore blue on gold. With a reorganization of pay grades sergeants were given a chevron with three straps and an arc (“rocker”) and during the period 1948-1958 the familiar three-stripe sergeant chevron was obsolete. In 1958 with another reorganization it was brought back. The smaller chevrons were never very popular and in 1951 larger chevrons that were about three inches across replaced them for the most part. The small sized chevrons continued to be worn on field jackets and by female personnel after 1951.”
Army Doc
You’re right, those are tanker boots….I bought one pair…I hated those damn boots…
The boots and stripes don’t bother me as much as the ribbons, In my time(USAF’54-’66) WAF stripes were smaller than men’s stripes and it was reasonably common to see a guy wearing them. Cool, you know. We also bought what we called paratrooper boots and had zippers installed on them so we wouldn’t have to lace them up every morning. My deputy sheriff grandson gave me 3 pair, altho his were for SWAT teams.
Being in the AF 12 years and some kids are coming out of BMT with more ribbons than I had. That what tears it for me,
The old dude is only 5 years older than me and I ain’t nowhere senile! Give me 5 more and we’ll talk.
[…] emailed the managing editor of the Sentinel-Echo, Carrie Dillard, about their false reporting of Curtis Barger’s awards that I wrote about yesterday. Here’s their response to him; On behalf of the Sentinel-Echo news staff, I would like to […]
He may be an old man but it isn’t demential or he got that at an early age…guy has been carrying on this charade for years. This is not the first time his false claim to the DSC has come up.
Psst, O’bummerGoyle,
We just want an appology & retraction… Some of our elders who were at places like the Pusan Perimeter, The Frozen Chosin and Chip-Yong-Ni get a bit heated, esp. the ones who came back missing body parts or spent time in POW camps.