Harold G. Barkley

Harold G. Barkley trained at Camp Wolters, Texas, November 1, 1943 - March 1944; Processed for overseas at Fort Meade, Maryland, then to port of embarkation at New York. Sailed April 7, 1944 on SS Ile de France; arrived at Scotland April 14, 1944, and took train to England. First camp was possibly in Wales but then sent farther south to "Wind Whistle Hill" between Chard and Yeovil. On June 7, 1944, shipped out from Southampton on a British ship and came ashore on Omaha Beach on June 9. Others were Elmer Antonelli, Anthony Bartas, Ralph Barrella, Frank Balchunas, Bill Dudas, John Savard. He may have been one of the over-strength for 2nd Inf. Div. as he and others were quickly marched inland where he and several of his group were assigned to Second Battalion, 38th Infantry. Barkley was assigned to Company G, 38th Infantry, on June 12. Although trained as an anti-tank gunner, he was given a Thompson submachine gun, boxes of bullets and several magazines and told he was now a scout. .... His platoon sergeant was T/Sgt. Norman Blackmore; his squad leader was S/Sgt. John Boback; others of his squad at that time were Joe Guajardo, Joe Benavidez, ____ Hoernke, Ray Simcik and he remembered Sgt. Wayne Parker who was a good leader. Blackmore was a great combat leader. As scout, Barkley participated on numerous patrols and was in many engagements, including the battles for Hill 192. He was wounded on July 27,1944, as mentioned earlier. .... After recovery he rejoined Company G in time for the 2nd Battalion's Paris train guard stint before rejoining the division on the Siegfried Line..... During the Battle for Heartbreak Crossroads he witnessed men being gunned down and blown up in the barbed wire before the pillboxes -- a source for later nightmares. He was involved in the terrible battles for the Twin Villages, being wounded late on December 19, 1944, as stated in the "Wounds Received" section. After recovery he was diagnosed as combat exhaustion and was re-assigned to a Railway Operating Battalion with which he served for the duration of the war, but resulting in receiving Central European Campaign credit. Others he recalled of Company G were Captain Skaggs; Lt. Pray; Lt. Welch; Sgt. Deck; (Bill Dudas and Frank Balchunas, both who arrived on the beach with him), and others.

After being discharged Harold Barkley found employment with Gardner-Denver Company, a factory that manufactured industrial pumps. He married Esther Schone on November 10, 1946, with whom he had four children: daughter Esther Jean "Jeannie"; sons Myron Lynn (later known as "Ike"), Cleve Carlyle, and Alvin Dean. Harold and Esther were later blessed with four granddaughters and one grandson and also great-grandchildren...... As a child Harold started a stamp collection; when he returned from the war he continued collecting things, expanding to American Indian artifacts, coins, old bottles, and many other interests..... He dearly loved his family. I remember dad and my mother tucking me and my siblings in bed and giving each of us a good night kiss. I think the war had taught him to treasure peace and the comfort of a loving family. Still, the war troubled him. Early on he had nightmares and loud, unexpected noises caused him to flinch. As children we were not allowed to have toy rubber balloons since the screeching sound of fingers rubbing across the surface reminded him of boots crunching in frozen snow. He could be short-tempered.... Harold loved to write poetry. And he had a humorous side. His laughter was a delight to hear, at times culminating in a teary-eyed, breathless, wheezing chortle so severe you'd think he would never catch his breath. And he loved animals, especially dogs.