Lester F. Barrett

NAME: Lester F. Barrett

ASN: 39304963

PLACE OF BIRTH: Hubbard, Marion County, OR

DATE OF BIRTH: 19 Jun 1915

DATES OF SERVICE: 08 Jan 1942 -

UNIT ASSIGNED:

D Company, 2nd Battalion, 509th Pparachute Infantry Regiment

A Company, 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion

Replacement Platoon, G Company (Provisional) 2nd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment

B Company, 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion

CAMPAIGNS: Algeria-French Morocco, Tunisia, Naples-Foggia, Rome-Arno

AWARDS: Combat Infantryman Badge, Parachutist Badge with combat jump star, EAME Campaign Medal with arrowhead and three campaign stars, WWII Victory Medal, Distinguished (Presidential) Unit Citation, French 3rd Zouaves Regiment

SUMMARY OF SERVICE:

19 Jun 1915 - Lester F. Barrett born to Frank M Barrett and Katherine P. Barrett in Hubbard, Marion County, OR

16 Oct 1940 - Lester F. Barrett registered for the draft

08 Jan 1942 - Lester F. Barrett ASN: 39304963 Enlisted at Portland, OR

ARMY SERIAL NUMBER	39304963	39304963
NAME	BARRETT#LESTER#F########	BARRETT#LESTER#F########
RESIDENCE: STATE	95	OREGON
RESIDENCE: COUNTY	047	MARION
PLACE OF ENLISTMENT	9580	PORTLAND OREGON
DATE OF ENLISTMENT DAY	08	08
DATE OF ENLISTMENT MONTH	01	01
DATE OF ENLISTMENT YEAR	42	42
GRADE: ALPHA DESIGNATION	PVT#	Private
GRADE: CODE	8	Private
BRANCH: ALPHA DESIGNATION	BI#	Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers, USA
BRANCH: CODE	00	Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers, USA
FIELD USE AS DESIRED	#	#
TERM OF ENLISTMENT	5	Enlistment for the duration of the War or other emergency, plus six months, subject to the discretion of the President or otherwise according to law
LONGEVITY	###	###
SOURCE OF ARMY PERSONNEL	0	Civil Life
NATIVITY	95	OREGON
YEAR OF BIRTH	15	15
RACE AND CITIZENSHIP	1	White, citizen
EDUCATION	4	4 years of high school
CIVILIAN OCCUPATION	783	Semiskilled mechanics and repairmen, n.e.c.
MARITAL STATUS	1	Single, with dependents
COMPONENT OF THE ARMY	7	Selectees (Enlisted Men)
CARD NUMBER	#	#
BOX NUMBER	1419	1419
FILM REEL NUMBER	6.185	6.185

08 Nov 1942 - Pfc. Lester F. Barrett ASN: 39304963 Unit: D Co, 2nd Bn, 509th PIR Hometown: Hubbard, OR Participated in Operation TORCH (VILLAIN) the airborne invasion of Oran, North Africa, Plane: 5 Seat: 11 Combat Weight: 257 lbs

Pilot 1st Lt David Eglit’s account - Pfc. Lester F. Barrett was on his aircraft

"We took off on the night of November 7th 1942 at 21:00hrs from St Eval airdrome, Land’s End, England. As number five to take off in A Flight, which was led by Colonel Bentley, we had no trouble in falling into place in the formation. I was leading the second element and thus fell into trail with Colonel Bentley about two or two and a half ships lengths behind. From then on it was all I could do to stay in formation and so I didn’t observe how the rest of the formation was going. However, the two ships which were supposed to be on my wing were in perfect formation with me."

"Our rendezvous over Predannack with flights C and D was accomplished and we headed out towards the Scilly Isles. Our ETA was correct and we made our turn south. We started to run into occasional scattered clouds which increased until we finally began to climb to about 11,000ft where we were about the overcast. The cloud layers later changed to a higher stratus layer and we were below the overcast."

"On our letdown across the Mediterranean we edged through scattered clouds. All throughout the flight we were in fairly close to Col Bentley’s ship and thus didn’t lose him through the intensity of the formation lights was very low and could not be seen over 200 yards. Our greatest difficulty was in trying to avoid a collision with the #2 ship in the first element for his formation lights weren’t working, My Co-pilot was continually on the alert and occasionally he would spot this ship and let me know if we were too close. We finally hit the coast of North Africa."

"The radio ship which was to guide us to the coast was not working and the Colonel could not raise Rebecca, the land station that was to guide us to our destination. We circled a point of land, which we could make out by some lights, for about thirty minutes, until at about 05:30hrs or 06:00hrs the skies became light enough to see the coast. The Colonel learned his approximate whereabouts and we headed in the direction of the Sebkra. We had a little difficulty in finding it but when we did, we found several ships on the ground already, but they had radioed us that they were being machine gunned from a hill just to the north, whereupon all the ship in the air made a pass over the hill and dropped their paratroopers and then landed. However, in the process of trying to get one parachute door out, we damaged the entire door, so that our troops could not jump and we landed with them."

"We were in the air ten hours and forty five minutes and landed with approximately 160-190 gallons of gas. It seemed as though the wind was reported incorrectly or had changed during the flight for we all hit the same point of land which was approximately 80 or 90 miles west of Oran, even though many of the ships had been separated from the formation and had done their own navigating."

15 Nov 1942 - Pfc. Lester F. Barrett ASN: 39304963 Unit: D Co, 2nd Bn, 509th PIR Participates in the Combat Jump at Youks les Baines

14 Sep 1943 - Pfc. Lester F. Barrett ASN: 39304963 Unit: 2nd Bn, 509th PIR Reports to Sick Call

09 Nov 1943 - Pfc. Lester F. Barrett ASN: 39304963 Unit: A Co, 509th PIB Participates in combat operations at Venafro, Italy

11 Jan 1944 - Pfc. Lester F. Barrett ASN: 39304963 Unit: A Co, 509th PIB, SO 4 - Assigned to Replacement Plt. G Co (Prov) 2nd Bn 509th PIR

22 Jan 1944 - Pfc. Lester F. Barrett ASN: 39304963 509th PIB, Participated in Operation SHINGLE the amphibious invasion of Anzio, Italy

00 Jan 1944 - Pfc. Lester F. Barrett ASN: 39304963 Diagnosis: Gastritis, chronic; Second Diagnosis: Abscess, periapical; Third Diagnosis: Gingivitis Type of Injury Disease, Injured in Line of Duty

00 Mar 1944 - Pfc. Lester F. Barrett ASN: 39304963 Released from hospital Type of Discharge: Returned to Duty, Length of Service 2 Year(s), 0 Month(s)

10 Apr 1944 - Pfc. Lester F. Barrett ASN: 39304963 Unit: B Co, 509th PIB, GO 5 - The following named Officers and Enlisted Men of Companies indicated having fulfilled all requirements as set forth in Par #3. a&b, Section I, WD Circular #269, dated 27 October 1943, are hereby announced as Combat Infantrymen and are entitled to wear the badge as specified in WD Circular above.

00 May 1944 - Pfc. Lester F. Barrett ASN: 39304963 Diagnosis: Joints, disease of, other Type of Injury: Disease - Injured in Line of Duty, Type of Discharge: Returned to Duty, Length of Service 2 Year(s), 5 Month(s)

18 Jul 1948 - Lester F. Barrett ASN: 39304963, Hometown: Hubbard, OR, Reunion LIST A

30 Oct 1998 - Lester F. Barrett Passed away Molalla, Clackamas County, OR Buried at Hubbard Cemetery, Hubbard, Marion County, OR

(ALL IMAGES AND INFORMATION ON THIS PAGE IS PROPERTY OF THE OWNER/FAMILY AND MAY NOT BE USED WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION. PLEASE CONTACT THE WEBMASTER AT THE E-MAIL BELOW)

webmaster@509thgeronimo.org