EDWARD FRANCIS BARRY

EDWARD FRANCIS BARRY
SGT E5, Army, 2/47/9th Inf Div
Wantah, NY
Born Aug 4, 1946 -- Died Feb 15, 1969
Long An, South Vietnam
Ground Casualty, Multiple fragmentation wounds
Panel 32W Line 36

Ed Barry was from New York. He was a nice guy. He always talked about New York and sang that song, it went something like this, "they say the lights are bright on Broadway, but how can you make some time when all you got is one thin dime." It might even be called, "On Broadway." One time we were on ambush out in the paddy water and he called me a name and I told him something witty like fuck you. We went at it trying to drown each other in the paddy water. He was stocky but despite my being skinny, I was quite strong after so many months of humping the bush and paddy. We kissed and made up. When I was down to one or two days in-country, the company was moving out. Barry came to me and shook hands with me and gave me his nail cutters. The last image in my mind of the company was seeing them pull out with Barry on the track. (J. Driessler, Nov 1999)
I didn't know Ed Barry, but my husband felt that Barry was a major reason he survived his own tour. He said Barry was in a sand-bagged bunker, and was killed when shrapnel blew through one small gap in the sandbags, and this just a few days before he was due to leave the field. Our son is named Samuel Barry, after him. (C. Roberts, Nov 1999)
Ed Barry was a good man, placed in bad circumstances by terrible judgement. Ed had a deep sense of humor and a profound love for life and people. He loved playing jokes as well as being on the receiving end. He looked forward with great anticipation and planning to his return to the "World", as we called civilian life. Now he lies in cold, damp, ground at National Cemetery. He did not deserve to be killed. (J. Spizzirri, Nov 1999)