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Second World War Veteran Died of Battle Fatigue

By Capper's Staff
Published on October 22, 2012

When I was 12 years old, my father, John Ray Barrick, passed away. He was a World War II hero. We didn’t find out what the complete story was until we received our dad’s war records.

He had mentioned a Purple Heart, and throwing his medals overboard because they were reminders of good friends he’d lost. He was in and out of Veterans Administration Hospitals and died of battle fatigue.

My mother, Esther Barrick, is a real hero in her own right. She was in charge of eight children – five boys and three girls. Times were tough and heartaches were many. I feel like we were all survivors of World War II.

According to the The Daily Ardmoreite, Ardmore, Oklahoma:

“Barrick joined the Navy in March 1942 as a 19-year-old fresh out of Healdton, and served until June 1945. Thirty of his 39 months of duty were spent at sea. Records show he twice survived attack, and ships he fought on led strikes on Palai, first and second Visayas, Manila,Nansei Shoto, Formosa, and Luzon.

“Barrick won the Purple Heart, the Good Conduct Medal, the Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon with bronze star, the American Area Campaign Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with three stars and the World War II Victory Medal”

Mary Bone
Wilson, Oklahoma


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