| David Bennes Barkley | |
|---|---|
| David Bennes Barkley, Medal of Honor |
|
| Born | March 31, 1899 Laredo, Texas |
| Died | November 9, 1918 (aged 19) Meuse River, France |
| Place of burial | San Antonio National Cemetery |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1917 - 1918 |
| Rank | Private |
| Unit | U.S. 356th Infantry, 89th Division |
| Battles/wars | World War I |
| Awards | Medal of Honor Croix de Guerre Croce al Merito di Guerra |
David Bennes Barkley (March 31, 1899 – November 9, 1918), often spelled Barkeley, was a United States Army private who posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions during World War I in France. After successfully completing a scouting mission behind enemy lines, he drowned as he swam back across the Meuse River.
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Barkley was born in Laredo, Texas to Josef and Antonia (Cantú) Barkley, and grew up with his Mexican-American mother. He enlisted in the Army when the United States entered what was then known as the Great War. He used his Anglo father's name to avoid being segregated into a non-combat unit.[1]
As a part of Company A, 356th Infantry, 89th Division in France, he and Sergeant M. Waldo Hatler swam across the Meuse River near Pouilly-sur-Meuse to get behind German lines and gather information about troop strength and deployments. They were able to gather the needed information; however, returning across the river, Barkley was "seized with cramps and drowned". (This is the exact wording from his citation, duplicated below.) Sgt. Hatler survived to bring the information back to their unit.
Barkley was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions. He was one of three Texans to be awarded the Medal of Honor for action during World War I.[2] Additionally, France awarded him the Croix de Guerre, and Italy the Croce al Merito di Guerra.
Private Barkley lies in state at the Alamo, the second person to ever receive this honor. He was then buried at the San Antonio National Cemetery.[3]
Rank and organization: Private, U.S. Army, Company A, 356th Infantry, 89th Division. Place and date: Near Pouilly, France, November 9, 1918. Entered service at: San Antonio, Tex. Birth: Laredo, Tex. G.O. No.: 20, W.D., 1919. Citation
Barkley has received three notable posthumous recognitions. In 1921, an elementary school in San Antonio, Texas was named in his honor. On January 10, 1941, the U.S. Army installation, Camp Barkeley, was named in his honor. A clerical error resulted in the discrepancy in spelling.[4] Finally, in 1989 when his Hispanic background was discovered, Barkley was recognized as the U.S. Army's first Hispanic Medal of Honor recipient.[5][6]
A memorial honoring the 41 Hispanic soldiers who have received the Congressional Medal of Honor was built in Laredo, Texas in 2002 and the plaza was named after David B. Barkley. The David B. Barkley Plaza has a bronze statue of David B. Barkley and an American flag measuring 100 ft by 50 ft and is 308 ft tall making it the tallest flagpole in the United States.[7][8] The memorial is located at .[9]
David Bennes Barkley's awards and decorations include the following: