Larry Barr; phony POW
Yesterday, in the comments of another phony POW, there was some discussion about this Larry Barr fellow.
Seems that we had his records already from when he appeared in this Voice of America article;
Larry Varr stands at the Vietnam War Memorial and reflects on the comrades he left behind. “See, there’s two of my friends on that wall right there,” he said.
Those names are just a few among the thousands of the fallen at the Vietnam War Memorial. Varr spent a year in Vietnam as an Air Force sergeant and then as a prisoner of war.
They call him Varr in the article, but the picture of him in his Air Force uniform has a nameplate with “Barr” on it.
In the video, Barr points to his “friend’s” name, John O’Neal Rucker who was an Air Force Sergeant killed when his barracks were rocketed on January 27th, 1973 – five years after Larry left Vietnam and a year after Larry finished his Reserve commitment. In fact, Rucker joined the Air Force in 1970 – they didn’t spend anytime in Vietnam together.
Yeah, Lar was in Vietnam (Aug ’67 – Jul ’68), but he wasn’t a POW. Well unless the Viet Cong were holding their POWs at the MAC Air Terminal in Dover AFB, Delaware.
Intel POG was the one who brought Barr up in the comments yesterday because Barr was Tweeted in this from his state delegate;
The only Barr who DPMO lists is John Frederick Barr, from Hope Arkansas a Navy O4 who was lost Oct. 19, 1967. His remains were returned in 1995. And he’s one of the countless reasons that we do this.
Category: Phony soldiers
I swear that if somebody told 10 different local papers that he is the last survivor of the Battle of Gettysburg, at least half of the papers would run a story about the guy. Make it the Second Battle of the Marne and all of them would.
In case anyone wants to double-check, here’s the DPMO Accounted For Vietnam POW/MIA list (contains the names of all who were released alive from captivity or whose remains have been returned/recovered):
http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo/vietnam/reports/documents/pmsea_acc_p_name.pdf
Here’s the DPMO Vietnam POW Escapee list (all who escaped captivity in SEA and returned alive):
http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo/vietnam/reports/pmsea_escapee.pdf
Here’s the DPMO Returnee Vietnam POW list (those released alive during and after the war):
http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo/vietnam/reports/pmsea_returnee.pdf
And here’s the DPMO Unaccounted-For list (those whose remains have never been returned and who are still considered MIA or have been declared KIA/body not recovered or Died In Captivity/remains not returned):
http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo/vietnam/reports/documents/pmsea_una_p_name.pdf
The name “Larry Raymond Barr” does not appear on any of those four lists. Obviously he’d be on at least two of them if his claim was legit – the Accounted-for list and either the Returnee or Escapee lists. It’s thus pretty damn obvious that he was never a POW.
And, for the record: his NA Form 13164 – AKA “FOIA Reply” from NPRC – also shows no Purple Heart. He’s wearing one of those in the photo his MD delegate tweeted, too.
Screw this lying bastard. Just screw him.
Can’t quite make it out from the photo, but it looks as if there might be some kind of device on his PH – as if he’s claiming more than one?
I noticed that also. Unfortunately, the photo’s resolution is such that I cannot make out what device(s) might be attached to the ribbon – if any. When the image is expanded, it simply becomes too blurred.
Maybe someone with better image manipulation skills/software can help?
Piece of garbage.
I wouldn’t piss on his head if his hair was on fire.
Word.
An old, maggoty dude.
GT: A bedwetter, too, unless he shares a catheter with that B’Nasty guy who flies with empty wing tanks..
I would. But my aim might be a touch off, and miss his hair. (smile)
Not if you put your foot down to secure the target.
You’re not “catching my drift”, GT.
Who says I’d want – or try – to hit his hair instead of his face?
Despicable piece of flesh… I will not even call him human. The lies about being a POW are bad enough, but to further embellish it by bringing a KIA into it, one you falsely say you served with just brings it to a whole other level of scumbaggery.
rb325th – it’s possible the “friend KIA” story is true, at least in part. They could have served together elsewhere, and this jackass doesn’t claim to have been there when they died.
It’s curious that Barr points to the name John O Rucker on The Wall. He was the last Air Force airman killed in Vietnam, some dozen hours or so before the ceasefire went into effect. He is mistakenly called by some to have been the last US casualty of the war. In other words, Barr’s claim that Rucker was one of his friends makes me wonder whether Barr didn’t read about Rucker somewhere and say, ‘Yeah. That’s a good one to claim a friendship with’–and then look him up on The Wall online or otherwise learn Rucker’s location on The Wall from one of the newspaper stories about Rucker.
Also possible, 2/17 Air Cav – and given this guy’s proven track record for mendacity, IMO more likely the case. I was merely pointing out the fact that his “friends killed” claim was plausible. I wasn’t saying it was true.
I found a tribute page to Rucker yesterday that listed his assignments. The two of them were NEVER assigned together. At this point I’ll stop short of calling it total BS, but considering his POW lie, I would love to hear his explanation on being Rucker’s friend.
That rules out being stationed together, and appears to indicate the guy’s lying a third time (1st lie, POW claim; 2nd lie, PH claim). However, they could have known each other before the service.
Barr entered the USAF in Baltimore, and resides near there today. That implies he likely grew up there. Was Rucker by any chance from the Baltimore area?
Hondo, Google-Fu says Rucker was born/raised in the Kilgore/Linden Texas area.
Well, looks like there goes that possibility.
Only thing I can think of that leaves is some temporary assignment.(Edited to strike the above and add the following.) Rucker’s dates of service are given in one source I found as 1971-1973. Since Barr left active duty in Mar 1970, that means their paths never crossed while Barr was serving.I’d certainly love to hear Barr’s explanation of how Rucker was his “friend” now.
A friend in need is a friend indeed.
Barr probably scoped out the Wall the day before.
Fuck him.
GT, I think it goes a little deeper than that. I think he purposely researched SGT Rucker so as to make his story more believable and to gather more notoriety for himself and his lies.
Impossible, John O’Neal Rucker was only 21 when he was killed if he served in the late 60’s he would have been a teenager in high school.
Turdbreath here needs to have his ass kicked, and kicked good…
27 Jan 1973 was a pretty significant day in our history. Other than being Troy Donahue’s birthday.
Lying fool. Humping freight in Viet Nam was often pretty hazardous duty, but apparently not good enough for this idiot.
Falsely claiming POW status makes this clown a true low life piece of scum.
Would guess that he was marginal at best. (Were they not awarding 5-levels when he should have had one? Pretty sure that they were.)
Another festering boil on the ass of humanity. He needs his dick knocked in the dirt, repeatedly.
Dipshit
Larry Barr…Roseanne Barr’s prettier sister.
Jonn, there are some many of these thieves that I wonder, as I drive down the road, if some people question the 2nd Division decals on my SubBub as being genuine. I hate to admit it, but whenever I see a guys truck with the Ranger tab decal, I question it in my mind.
Victimless crime, huh?
OC
“so many”
Duh!
OC
Had some very productive phone calls with the Quartermaster & Commander of Barr’s VFW post. The walls are closing in on Larry.
AverageNCO, i’ve been trying to reach out to this guy to get those medals from him. I’m about 15 miles from Pasadena. Is there any way you can contact me? Hondo or Jonn can provide my contact info.
The reason I’m working on this is that my Legion post is planning a “meet and greet” with Mr. Barr.
AverageNCO: let me know if you need a sanitized (e.g., requester’s name/address removed from cover letter) softcopy of Barr’s FOIA reply from NPRC.
I have one, provided to me by a 3rd party. I’ve also filed a FOIA request concerning Barr and am awaiting a hardcopy directly from NPRC.
Barr is membership guy for a fishing and hunting club in Pasadena
http://www.scfhclub.org/Officers.aspx
Burning him for Stolen Valor is enough. The ‘Friends KIA’ comments, while suspect due to his other false statements, are not too outlandish themselves in my opinion.
A Gentleman I grew up near was a Vietnam-era Veteran. He and 2 of his best friends in high school all joined the Army together. He spent most of his short Army career in Germany, his 2 best friends wound up in Vietnam and both were KIA.
From as early as I can remember, maybe age 7 or so, when I asked him (at my Dad’s prompting) about his service on Veteran’s Day, he went to great lengths (even with a 7 year old boy) to explain that he served during the Vietnam war, but never went to Vietnam, and that his 2 closest friends did go to Vietnam and were KIA there.
I never verified the story intentionally, but I know it is true – as a surprise gift one year I ordered him a KIA bracelet with his 2 friends names on them. I recalled the names clearly from the times he mentioned them, and went to the Vietnam casualty database and searched by home state to make certain I got the names and dates correct whilst maintaining the surprise.
He was some sort of supply/logistics type, and a great representative for the Army and all Soldiers due to his bearing, demeanor, and character. He passed away last year.
mr sharkman: there is strong evidence that Barr’s “friend KIA” claim appears to be bullsh!t as well.
The individual he singled out by-name as his friend – who “just happens” to be the last USAF enlisted man killed in Vietnam – appears to have grown up over 1,000 miles away from Barr. They never served on active duty together; Barr was on active duty in 1966-1970, while the guy he identified as his “friend” served on active duty in 1971-1973. And Barr’s records show no participation in the USAFR after his discharge from active duty, so it’s a damn good bet they didn’t meet after Barr’s discharge from active duty before the guy went to Vietnam.
Yes, it’s theoretically possible they met somewhere along the way, briefly. But at this point, given Barr’s other apparent baldfaced lies I’d have to see verifiable proof that they knew each other before I’d buy that.
Based on your research, documentation, etc., I sadly agree.
Good work (again).
I don’t know who this man is, but I am angry. Please watch my story and you will understand why. John O’Neal Rucker would have only been 19 when “Mr. Barr” left service, he was working at the ceramics factory in Kilgore at that time. I am angry because I am just trying to get to know him, I’m angry because he chose to lie about John, again please watch it will explain more.
http://kdvr.com/2013/03/29/woman-reconnects-with-her-father-40-years-after-his-death-in-war-in-vietnam/