John Lewis Barkley, C M of H

[Chaz]

http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=7500371661&searchurl=sts%3Dt%26tn%3DScarlet%2BFields

In case you do not want to spend 300+ bucks for an original copy, here you go.
Chaz

[Marine A5 Sniper Rifle]

I downloaded a free copy online several years ago. The book went out of print and copyright and someone picked it up a few years ago and started selling them. It is an amazing story about a guy who makes York look like a tame kitten in comparison. He took on an entire company of Germans by himself in a fight to the death and won. Most notable was the fact that he fought throughout the entire war, and repeatedly performed daring deeds of heroism. Why he never became our national hero, versus York, is a continuing mystery to me.

jt

[PKelly]

I have a copy of the book and found it to be highly interesting. The WWI Museum at the Liberty Memorial in Kansas City has some of Barkleys effects on display, worthwhile if you get a chance.

Barkley never became the icon that York did for a very specific reason: he wasn't the softspoken everyman that York was. Unlike York, Barkley was a bit of a selfpromoter. He was also very unapologetic and proud of his performance during the war, again quite the polar opposite of Alvin York. Americans would have rather seen themselves as the reluctant citizen called to service rather than someone who made trouble in the rear and actively sought it out at the front, like Barkley. Also, by the time Barkley wrote his book the isolationist movement was in full swing and people really didn't want to hear about it. We like our heros to fit a certain mold. When they don't we ignore them or villify them.

[ClaudeH]

Okay, everyone, we're missing the most important point here! Did Barkley use a 1903 or a 1917! Surely we all have an opinion!

[Chaz]

He stated very clearly that he shot a Model 1903. Link: http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=inu.32000009944960#page/n7/mode/1up