Marguerite M. Barkley letter to Edward F. Murphy - August 18, 1976

Transcript

August 18, 1976 Mr. Edward F. Murphy Medal of Honor History Roundtable 717 N. Craig Place Lombard, Illinois 60148 Dear Mr. Murphy: A friend at the Sun Publications has forwarded your letter concerning my husband, John Lewis Barkley, to me and I shall endeavor to give you the information you wish. John passed away April 14, 1966, and the burial was in Forest Hill Cemetery, Kansas City, Missouri. He was born in Blairstown, Missouri (near Holden) August 28, 1895, attended college at Warrensburg, Missouri, but left school to join the Army at Holden, Missouri, early in 1918. He was sent to Camp Funston, Kansas, and was in the 89th Division, to train for the Intelligence Service. He was soon sent over seas to serve with the 3rd Division, Company K, 4th Infantry. There are six bars or battle clasps on his Victory Medal, indicating that he was in six major military engagements in France. Besides the Congressional Medal of Honor, he was awarded the British Distinguished Service Cross, the French Medaille Millitaie, the [French] Croix de Guerre with three palms, the Belgium Croix de Guerre, the Belgium War Cross, the Italian War Cross and the Medal de Bravere of Montenegro. In 1930, he published a book of his true experiences of the war, titled "No Hard Feelings," which is now out of print. John had a great interested in his Community and Civic affairs, serving on the Mission Township Board a number of years. He spearheaded the Sertoma Club's drive in 1953-54 for the land for the present Shawnee Mission Park System, purchasing over 1,250 acres of ground for the Park. He was the unofficial Park Manager during the first critical years, and later became the Park Superintendent, serving till his death in 1966. John was also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Johnson County Historical Museum and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Liberty Memorial Association of Kansas City, Missouri, and a member of the Shawnee Mission Hospital Advisory Committee. We enjoyed the Conventions of the Medal of Honor Society and tried not to miss one of them. We have one daughter, Joan Barkley Wells. The obituary appeared in the Kansas City Star. If you have any other questions, feel free to write me. Respectfully, Mrs. John L. Barkley 6822 Johnson Drive Mission, Kansas 66202