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Description

Oral history interview of Robert Barfield. Interview conducted by Alex Thorp at the veteran’s home in Orlando, FL.

Log

0:31 Birth and Early Life; 2:50 GED in Korea; 4:27 Reform School; 31:54 Decision to join the military; 38:22 Family Reaction to joining the military; 38:57 Basic training/Infantry training/Jump School; 39:58 First experiences in Korea; 43:27 Training in Korea; 45:23 Experiences in bunker; 46:54 Being wounded; 53:39 First Court Martial; 56:45 Rejoining Airborne; 59:05 Return to Front Lines; 59:23 Battle "Boomerang Hill"; 68:32 Battle Aftermath; 73:54 Rejoining 187 Airborne; 80:51 Sent to rear; 82:24 Going home; 87:16 Leaving the service/Joining the Navy; 89:05 Leaving the navy; 90:14 Impact of service; 91:33 Veterans Groups; 92:03 Advice for those joining the military; 93:05 Additional Remarks with photographs.

Date of Birth

1934-08-06

Place of Birth

Philadelphia (Pa.)

Gender

Male

Race

White - Non Hispanic

Home State

Pennsylvania

War or Conflict

Korean Conflict

Status

Veteran

Begin/End date of Service - 1st

1951-09-12

Type

Video; MovingImage

1954-09-13

Entrance into Service

Enlisted

Branch of Service

U.S. Army

Unit of Service

5th RCT; 3rd Infantry Div.; 187th Airborne; 82nd Airborne

Location of Service

Korea; United States

Highest Rank

Sergeant First Class; SFC

Prisoner of War

No

Service Related Injury

Yes

Battles

Battle for Boomerang

Medals

Silver Star Medal; Bronze Star with V Device; Purple Heart; United Nations Service Medal for Korea; National Defense Medal; Good Conduct Medal; Combat Infantryman Badge; Parachutist Badge; Expert Marksman Badge

Achievements

"Was a squad leader at 18 years of age on the front lines of Korea. Discovered in 1998 that I was recommended for the Medal of Honor for my actions during a major battle for a position called the Boomerang on Flag Day; 6/14/53, was still 18 at the time. Have a website that explains; robertbarfield.com. Website says Robert Barfield recommended for Medal of Honor." - The Veteran.

Note

"Discovered 45 years after the fact that I was recommended for the nations' highest award for combat, the Medal of Honor." - The Veteran.

City of Birth

Philadelphia

Country of Birth

United States

Interviewer

Thorp, Alex

Interview Date

3-21-2016

Location of Interview

Veteran’s home in Orlando, FL.

Subjects

Barfield, Robert C.; Korean War, 1950-1953 -- Personal Narratives; United States. Army

Collection Description

Contains logs, audio and video recordings of interviews with Central Florida's veterans as part of a history class project for the students at the University of Central Florida (UCF). The UCF Community Veterans History Project(CVHP) started in fall 2010. It collects, preserves, and makes accessible to the public the experiences of Central Florida's veterans so that future generations will better understand the realities of conflict. It is a collaborative endeavor supported by multiple departments and offices at UCF. The veterans' histories are archived and made digitally available through the UCF library and selected materials are contributed to the Veterans History Project at the Library of Congress.

Contributor Affiliation / Organization

RICHES; University of Central Florida

Contributors

Thorp, Alex

Length of Interview

139 Minutes

Publisher

Department of History, University of Central Florida

Type

video

Rights

All rights are held by the respective holding institution. This material is posted publicly for non-profit educational uses, excluding printed publication. For permission to reproduce and/or for copyright information contact Special Collections and University Archives, University of Central Florida Libraries, (407) 823-2576. http://library.ucf.edu/about/departments/special-collections-university-archives/

Repository

University of Central Florida Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives

Contributing Project

UCF Community Veterans History Project

Document Type

Interview

Semester

Spring

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