Lt. Berner interview of John L. Barkley - n.d.
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[page 1] Q. 1. LIEUT BARKLEY, THE NEW REGULAR VETERANS ASSOCIATION POST IS NAMED AFTER YOU AND LT. COL. SCHWEIN, U.S. ARMY. THE COLONEL WAS ALSO CITED FOR GALLANTRY IN ACTION. DON'T YOU THINK THAT THE NEW VETERANS POST FILLS A NEED OF REGULAR SERVICE MAN HERE? A. 1. YES. THE REGULARS, PAST AND FUTURE, SHOULD HAVE SUCH AN ASSOCIATION, AS IT GROWS IT WILL ENABLE MEN WHO HAVE SERVED IN THE REGULARS TO MEET IN COMRADSHIP AND TO PLAY THEIR PROPER PART IN A PATRIOTIC AND CIVIC ORGANIZATION. Q. 2. LIEUT BARKLEY, YOU WEREN'T THE FIRST OF YOUR FAMILY TO SERVE THE UNITED STATES IN TIME OF WAR, WERE YOU? A. 2. NO. THERE HAS BEEN A BARKLEY SERVING IN EVERY WAR THE COUNTRY HAS HAD SINCE THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. TWO OF MY ANCESTORS HAD PREVIOUSLY WON THE MEDAL OF HONOR. Q. 3. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF OUR PRESENT PLANS FOR NATIONAL DEFENSE IN TIMES WHEN THE NATION IS NOT AT WAR. A. 3. I BELIEVE THAT IS THE ONLY TIME TO PREPARE OUR DEFENSES AND THAT WE ARE DOING THE ONLY SENSIBLE THING UNDER PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES. OUR STATE NATIONAL GUARDS, RESERVES AND ALL REGULAR FORCES, ARMY, NAVY AND MARINE CORPS SHOULD BE BROUGHT UP TO FULL STRENGTH IN MEN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. IF THIS IS NOT DONE I BELIEVE THAT OUR SECURITY WILL BE GRAVELY THREATENED VERY SOON. Q. 4. YOU EMPHASIZE THE MAN POWER, DO YOU RECOMMEND THAT YOUNG MEN ENLIST IN THESE REGULAR, RESERVE AND NATIONAL GUARD UNITS NOW? A. 4. I CERTAINLY DO. IN MY ACTIVE SERVICE IN TRAINING CAMP AND ON THE BATTLE FIELD I SAW THE MANY MISTAKES MADE IN HURRIED, WASTEFUL AND INADEQUATE TRAINING OF MEN AFTER WAR WAS DECLARED. POORLY TRAINED OFFICERS AND MEN WERE NOT ONLY OF MUCH LESS VALUE AS SOLDIERS, BUT ALSO THEIR GREENNESS CAUSED MUCH NEEDLESS LOSS OF LIFE.
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[page 2] Q. 5. YOU DON'T SEEM TO HOLD WITH THE MINUTE MAN IDEA THAT OUR AMERICAN MEN CAN DEFEND THE UNITED STATES WHEN NECESSARY WITHOUT MUCH TRAINING? A. 5. THE HISTORY AND EXPERIENCES OF ALL OF OUR WARS TELL A DIFFERENT STORY AND SHOW THE FOLLY AND COST OF UNPREPAREDNESS, ESPECIALLY NOW, WHEN SO MUCH FAST MECHANIZED EQUIPMENT IS USED, AND WHEN AUTOMATIC GUNS, POWERFUL CANNONS, PLANES AND SHIPS TURN THE SCALE OF BATTLE, IT IS NECESSARY THAT MEN BE HIGHLY TRAINED AND SKILLED. THEY MUST NOT ONLY LEARN THE TACTICS OR WARFARE AND BECOME PROFICIENT WITH THEIR ARMS, BUT LARGE NUMBERS MUST BE SKILLED ENGINEERS, MECHANICS, RADIOMEN AND SO ON THROUGH DOZENS OF TRADES THAT REQUIRE MONTHS TO LEARN. Q. 6. WOULD YOU ADVISE YOUNG MEN WHO CAN, TO VOLUNTEER FOR ARMY, NAVY OR MARINE CORPS NOW, AND IF SO, WHY? Q. 6. I HAVE RECENTLY ADVISED MANY TO VOLUNTEER AND I NOW REPEAT THIS ADVISE TO ALL WHO ARE SINGLE AND PHYSICALLY FIT. ENLISTMENT WILL BE GREATLY TO THEIR ADVANTAGE. MANY WILL LEARN SKILLED TRADES AND GREATLY TO THEIR ADVANTAGE. MANY WILL LEARN SKILLED TRADES AND GREATLY BENEFIT IN OTHER WAYS BY MILITARY SERVICE. ADVANCEMENT IS FAST NOW IN ARMY, NAVY AND MARINE CORPS FOR CAPABLE YOUNG MEN, WHILE THESE SERVICES ARE EXPANDING. IT IS A PATRIOTIC DUTY FOR US AMERICANS TO SEE THAT OUR COUNTRY IS PROPERLY PROTECTED. THEN FINALLY IF WE DO BECOME ENGAGED IN ANY WAR THESE TRAINED MEN WILL NOT ONLY RENDER BETTER SERVICE AND BE REWARDED FOR THAT, BUT THEY WILL HAVE A MUCH BETTER CHANCE FO SURVIVING THE BATTLE. IT'S THE GREEN MEN AND OFFICERS WHO SUFFER MOST. Q. 7. DO YOU BELIEVE THAT THERE IS ANY DANGER FROM UNAMERICAN OR SUBVERSIVE ACTIVITIES IN THIS COUNTRY NOW?
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[page 3] A. 7. YES THERE ALWAYS IS IN TIME OF TROUBLE. I WAS IN THE INTELLIGENCE UNIT IN FRANCE AND I KNOW OF TRAITORS THERE ON THE BATTLE FIELDS AMONG THE AMERICAN FORCES. EVERY PRECAUTION SHOULD BE TAKEN TO PREVENT SUCH UNAMERICANS ENTERING OUR ARMED FORCES OR POSITIONS OF POWER AND INFLUENCE IN THIS COUNTRY. WE AMERICANS SHOULD UNITE IN OUR COMMON CAUSE AND TAKE DUE PRECAUTION AGAINST THOSE HOSTILE TO US. THE VETERANS SHOULD BE VIGILANT TO LESSEN THE DANGERS OF SABOTAGE OR TREASON. WE MUST ALL MAKE SACRIFICES FOR OUR COUNTRY AND TAKE MEASURES TO INSURE THE FUTURE SAFETY OF THESE UNITED STATES WHILE SO (I BELIEVE) DOING WE SHOULD ALSO BE TOLERANT AND GUARD OUR PRIZED LIBERTIES OF SPEECH, WORSHIP AND INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM. THOSE OF US WHO HAVE SERVED THE UNITED STATES IN THE HEAT OF BATTLE BELIEVE IN OUR GOVERNMENT AND OUR PEOPLE. WE CAN AND WILL UNITE TO BECOME STRONG ENOUGH TO RESIST ANY AGRESSION, WITHIN OR WITHOUT. LT. BERNER: LIEUTENANT BARKLEY IT HAS BEEN A GREAT PLEASURE AND INSPIRATION TO INTERVIEW YOU. I WISH THAT THIS AUDIENCE COULD ALL READ OR HEAR OF THE MANY EXCITING AND HEROIC DEED OF YOU AND YOUR COMRADES IN COMPANY K IN FRANCE. YOU OUTWITTED AND OUTFOUGHT YOUR FOE AT EVERY TURN AND IT IS AN HONOR TO HAVE MET YOU. AS LONG AS WE HAVE MANY SUCH VALIANT AND PATRIOTIC YOUNG AMERICANS SUCH AS YOU PROVED YOURSELF IN 1917-18 THE UNITED STATES WILL BE SAFE FROM ANY FOE.
Details
| Title | Lt. Berner interview of John L. Barkley - n.d. |
| Creator | Lt. Berner |
| Source | Lt. Berner. Interview of John L. Barkley. n.d. John Lewis Barkley Collection, 1918-1976. 1996.19. The National World War I Museum, Kansas City, Missouri. |
| Description | In this undated interview with Lt. Berner, John L. Barkley spoke of the Regular Veterans Association and his belief in the United States military. |
| Subject LCSH | United States. Army. Infantry Regiment, 4th; United States. Army. Division, 3rd; Regular veterans association. |
| Subject Local | WWI; World War I |
| Site Accession Number | 1996.19 |
| Contributing Institution | National World War I Museum and Memorial |
| Copy Request | Transmission or reproduction of items on these pages beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the National World War I Museum and Memorial: (816) 888-8100. |
| Rights | The text and images contained in this collection are intended for research and educational use only. Duplication of any of these images for commercial use without express written consent is expressly prohibited. |
| Date Original | n.d. |
| Language | English |