1942: George Halas Goes Off to War and the Bears Go On Defense and Winning Streak-- Part 1

From the November 16, 2019, Chicago Sun-Times.

I have been writing about the Chicago Bears in my Cooter's History Thing blog earlier this month.

When founder and coach George Halas left the undefeated Chicago Bears to serve in the U.S. Navy as a lieutenant commander in the middle of the 1942 season, the Bears responded with one of the great defensive runs of all time in the NFL.

They shut out the winless Detroit Lions 16-0 in their first game without Halas, then beat the Brooklyn Dodgers 42-0 in Brooklyn the next week.

They nearly had a third consecutive shutout when they were leading the rival Packers 38-0 late in the fourth quarter at Wrigley Field -- until Cecil Isbell threw a seven-yard touchdown pass to Don Hutson late in the final quarter.

But the Bears kept on going.  They beat the Lions 42-0 (with 12 takeaways), the Rams 47-0 and they did not allow a offensive touchdown in a 21-7 victory against the rival Cardinals to complete an 11-0 season.  The Cardinals scored off a fumkble on an aborted Bears punt in the waning moments.

--GreGen

Raymond Barker, USMC-- Part 4: His Family Was Devastated By the News

Raymond's family was devastated by the news.  A relative remarked:  "Even the slightest mention of his name  would cause a cascade of tears.  There simply was too much grief over his death."

After Raymond's mother received the news, she hung a gold star on her front door, signifying that  the family had lost someone in the war.

Ray had a sweetheart before he left for the war and most of his family believe he would have married her.

--GreGen

Raymond Barker USMC-- Part 3: From MIA to KIA

On D-Day at Tarawa, November 20, 1943, Corporal Barker was reported MIA and a few weeks after the island was secured, , his status was changed to presumed Killed In Action.  His body has never been  recovered.  He is one of eight men of Charlie Company who were listed as MIA at the Battle of Betio.

In his last letter home, dated November 1, he told of his frequent moves across the islands of the Pacific  and predicted an upcoming assault soon but had no premonition of death.

His parents didn't find out for two months after the battle.

On 9 March 1944, the bad news came in the form of a telegram:

"Cpl. Barker was listed as missing after the attack November 20 on Tarawa atoll in the Gilbert Islands.  However, Tarawa has now been fully occupied by American forces for 3 months, and it must necessarily be concluded that he lost his life in action."

--GreGen

Raymond Barker at the Battle of Tarawa-- Part 1: His Tank Hit

When the Battle of Tarawa started  on the morning of November 20, 1943, Corporal Barker and his tank were transferred from the USS Ashland to an LCM that carried them across Tarawa's lagoon.  When the LCM grounded on the reef off Red Beach 3, the tank and its crew splashed into the water.

Barker followed his original orders and drove his tank  through the chaotic area going southbound.  Soon after crossing the taxi strip, his tank was targeted by a Japanese 75 mm anti-aircraft gun.  It was struck and the concussion of the shells caused an electrical malfunction and a red warning light lit up on the dashboard indicating that the engine was burning.

Joe Woolum, one of the tank's crew, remembered,  "Barker, our driver, said 'We're on fire.' "  The tank commander ordered the  crew  to exit the tank.

Barker's tank was photographed after the battle and shows that the gun tube's position prevented the driver's hatch from opening.  This left him two choices to get out:  the assistant driver's hatch or the emergency hatch, located behind the driver's seat.

Raymond Barker was probably the last man to leave the tank.

Corporal Barker apparently made it out, but his body was never recovered.

--GreGen

Raymond Barker in High School and Enlists in the Marines

Raymond Barker was very smart and went to Lane Tech High School in Chicago where you had to be in the top 10% of your graduating class from primary school.  At the time it was only open to males.

He enlisted in the Marine Corps in Chicago on 5 October 1942 and attended tank school and obtained the rank of Private First Class.  Afterwards, he was sent to Camp Pendleton in California for advanced tank training and became a tank driver in C Company, 1st Corps Tank Battalion (Medium).  Later he attended Camp Eliot where he attended diesel school and attained the rank of corporal.

During training, he kept up correspondence with his family, and his sweetheart back in Wisconsin.

--GreGen

At Home With Corporal Barker

From the Tanks on Tarawa site.  "Cpl. Raymond Arthur Barker  #480082  3rd Platoon, Company C, 1st Corps Medium Tank Battalion.

Reported as Missing In Action 11/20/43

Corporal Barker was about to turn 23 when he took part in the terrible Battle of Tarawa

Raymond Barker was born on December 20, 1920 in Walworth County, Wisconsin.  His father, Harley C. Barker was a farmer in those days and his mother, Hazel B. Barker, was a farmer's wife.  This according to Philip Wright, Raymond Barker's nephew.  "She always arose at 4:30 in the morning and began to cook."  That's what farmers' wives did  in the traditional US farm life for many generations.

Their living conditions were good, remembers Philip, who met Raymond  but was too young to remember him.  Philip lived with Raymond's parents during four years after the war and shared in their life."I can still remember awakening in the morning to the wonderful smells coming out of the kitchen."

--GreGen

Corp. Raymond Arthur Barker, USMC-- Part 2

There is a second Find-A-Grave account of him, this one put out by the organization that identified his remains, Defense  POW/MIA Accounting Agency.  A tip of the hat to them for this effort.

October 17, 2017

Marine Corps Reserve Cpl. Raymond A. Barker, killed during World War II, has now been accounted for.

In November 1943, Barker was assigned to Company C, 2nd Tank Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, which landed against stiff Japanese resistance on the small island of Betio in the Tarawa Atoll of the Gilbert Islands, in an attempt to secure the island.

Over several days of intense fighting at Tarawa, approximately 1,000 Marines and Sailors were killed and more than 2,000 wounded, but the Japanese were virtually annihilated.  Barker died on the first day of the battle.

Interment services are pending; more details will be released 7-10 days prior to scheduled funeral services.

DPAA Is grateful to History Flight, for their partnership in the mission.

Barker's name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at the NCMP, an American Battle Monuments Commission cemetery, along with others killed or lost in WW II.  A rosette will be placed next to his name  to indicate he has been accounted for.

This one, however, has him incorrectly buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

--GreGen

Corp. Raymond Arthur Barker, USMC-- Part 1

From Find-A-Grave

CPL Raymond Arthur Barker

Born:  20 Dec. 1920, Delavan, Wis.
Death: 20 Nov. 1943, Tarawa, Gilbert Islands, Kiribati

Burial:  Spring Grove Cemetery, Delavan, Wis.  Lot B, Block 5, Section 0

A rather tall man at 6'4".

Corp. Ray Barker Killed in Action.

Delavan--  Corp. Raymond Barker, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harley Barker, former residents here, was killed in action at Tarawa, Nov. 20, according to information just recently received by his parents from the war department.  Corp. Barker had previously been reported missing.

He participated in the Battle of Tarawa as a raider in a medium tank battalion.

Born Dec. 20, 1920, at the Barker farm home, near Delavan, Barker left here during his early youth with his parents, who moved to Evanston, Illinois.  Surviving besides his parents, are two sisters, Mrs S.H. Wright, Chicago, and Mrs. J.A. Gibas, Denver, and a brother , ElbridgeS. Barker, Chicago.

Cpl. Barker has a cenotaph  in the Honolulu Memorial.  A cenotaph is a structure erected in honor of someone whose remains are elsewhere.

--GreGen

Spring Grove Cemetery in Delavan, Wisconsin: His Parents and Older Brother Buried There

In the last post, I mentioned that Corp. Raymond Barker (USMC) was buried in Spring Grove Cemetery, but the article did not say where that cemetery was.  We live in Spring Grove, Illinois, around 40 miles from Delavan, so possibly he was buried here.

But, using Find-A-Grave, I found Spring Grove Cemetery in Delavan, Wisconsin.

Raymond's father, HarleyClaude Barker (1882-1959) is buried there as is his wife, Hazel (unknown-1971) and older brother Elbridge Barker (Unknown-1979).  Older sister, Velma B. Barker Gibas (1910-2002) is buried in Denver, Colorado.

--GreGen

Homecoming: Cpl. Raymond Barker (USMC) Comes Home to Delavan, Wisconsin, After 75 Years

From the May 16, 2019, Hi-Liter "Homecoming:  World War II soldier returned to Delavan, Wisconsin, for burial 75 years after death" by Vicky Wedig.

Raymond Barker was just 22-years-old when he left for war in 1943 as a U.S. Marine.

He was from Delavan and listed as missing in action in 1943, but DNA analysis had identified his remains which arrived in Milwaukee and went hearse from Delavan overpasses were decorated welcoming him home.    The Patriot Guard Riders accompanied them.

Service was held at Betzer Funeral Home and entire schools turned out.  Family members from all over the United States came.

Hazel Barker never knew what happened to her son and she never got over it.  For many years the family believed that his tank sank in the Pacific Ocean without making it to shore.  Research showed Barker's tank had made it to shore and an interview with Joe Woolum, who was sitting next to Barker in the tank in the battle and found out the crew had to abandon the tank and few made it back to shore.

The Barkers were told only that their son was missing in action and a star hung on their front door symbolizing a MIA soldier.  When his parents died, that MIA Star was placed next to their grave.  On May 5, 2019, the body of their son replaced that star.

He was buried at Spring Grove Cemetery where he is buried next to his parents.

I wish the article had said what battle Corp. Barker died at (probably Tarawa) or where Spring Grove Cemetery was.  (Possibly Spring Grove Cemetery in Spring Grove, Illinois?)

Welcome Home, Corporal.  --GreGen

Early Prep for Victory Gardens in Sycamore in 1944

From the March 13, 2019, MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1944, 75 Years Ago.

"In carrying out the Victory Garden program that has been publicized much of late, many stores in Sycamore have put out seed cases for spring, and  already some people have made purchase of vegetable seeds for the '44 Victory garden."

Growing Food For Victory.   --GreGen

9th Year, 3,574th Post for This Blog

Today marks the ninth year of this blog which I started in 2012 during the 70th anniversary of it.  I have always been interested in Pearl Harbor, which is my biggest posting in labels.  With us losing so many World War II veterans every day and the fact that so much of my regular history blog, Cooter's History Thing, was becoming about the war, it seemed only natural to start this one.

The sign off name, GreGen stands for Greatest Generation, which they, in my opinion, definitely are.

Growing up, I was born in 1951, the World War II veterans were always around.  Never thought about getting to the point where they are so rare.  But, time goes on.

--GreGen

Girdles and Model Planes for the War Effort

From the Dec. 4, 2019, MidWeek "Looking Back."

1944, 75 Years Ago.

"In giving her girdle to a rubber drive, a DeKalb woman said that it was more important to have her government in good shape."

**************************************

"Don and Ronald Lothson whose hobby is airplanes, have loaned several of their best model  planes, sticks and solids for display purposes in the belief it will aid the sixth war loan drive.

"At the present time the models were on display at the Cilco office on South Third Street where the north window has been given over to exhibit."

--GreGen

Oversubscribing for the Sixth War Loan Drive at Shabbona, Illinois, in 1944

From the Nov. 20, 2019, MidWeek (DeKalb County, Illinois) "Looking Back."

1944, 75 Years Ago.

"High school students at Shabbona, anxious to show their support in the Sixth War Loan  Drive, oversubscribed  their quota this morning in a one-hour flurry of bond buying.  The initial effort for the Shabbona school was sponsored by the senior class  and a goal was set to raise enough money to buy a field ambulance at a cost of $1,950.

"In a flurry of buying in the first hour of school this morning the fund was not only reached but oversubscribed  to an amount of $2,301.75."

--GreGen

Santa's Coming to Town in 1944, Buy Your War Bonds, Kids

From the Nov. 27, 2019, MidWeek "Looking Back"

1944, 75 Years Ago.

"Santa Claus arrived in DeKalb on Saturday to assist the DeKalb merchants in selling war bonds and his trip to the city was a huge success as he was greeted by a large group of at the DeKalb Trust and Savings Bank, both in the morning and afternoon.

"Children are being encouraged to buy binds from Santa and to exchange their war stamp books for bonds."

Never Hurts to get In Good With Santa, You Know.  --GreGen

DeKalb's Interstate Aircraft and Engineering Corp. Gets $70,000 in 1944

From the March 13, 2019, MidWeek  (DeKalb County, Illinois)  "Looking Back."

1944, 75 Years Ago.

"Announcement was made today by the Defense Plant Corporation that a contract increase has been made to the Interstate Aircraft and Engineering Corporation.

"An increase of $70,000 has been  awarded to provide additional facilities for the Interstate plant in DeKalb, bringing its commitment to $1,500,000."

--GreGen

The Navy at D-Day

Another person wrote that the air and naval forces at D-Day were under ridiculous restrictions which greatly reduced their effectiveness.  (Most people in the thread believe the aerial and naval bombardment at D-Day was ineffective.)

Air Forces were ordered to  delay their release so as not to hit landing craft and troops on the beach so most exploded two miles inland.  (Maybe this was to prevent reinforcements.)

The United States had three old battleships, a heavy cruiser and  30 or so destroyers there.    They also had serious restrictions which reduced their effectiveness until ordered in close.  When Allied destroyers were ordered to come up close at Omaha Beach, this changed, but some ran aground.

One destroyer was sunk by a German mine.

--GreGen

The USS Texas and Arkansas Duel With German Guns at Cherbourg

A few weeks after D-Day, the USS Texas and USS Arkansas dueled with German guns at Cherbourg.  The Texas was hit twice in this engagement.

One round caused a casualty  and many other injuries near the bridge  and one that was likely to skip off the water went through the hull, landed in an officer's room and did not explode.  That shell is on display on the Texas.

A photograph accompanies the blog thread.

--GreGen

Pushing Winter Grown Cabbage As a Victory Food in 1944

From the March 6, 2019, MidWeek (DeKalb County, Illinois)  "Looking Back."

1944, 75 Years Ago.

"War Food Administration authorities have designated winter grown cabbage as a victory food  selection from February 24 through March 4 and urged the nation to increase consumption of  the popular leafy green vegetable throughout the ten-day period.

"With an indicated crop of 483,600 tons moving to market, 73 percent larger than last year, the director has called upon housewives, food merchants, restaurants, hotels, and institutions to join in the campaign to serve more cabbage during the period when the market is expected to be at its peak."

00GreGen

DeKalb County's Hemp Production to Expand in 1944

From the February 27, 2019, MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1944, 75 Years Ago.

"According to the announcement made this morning by E.E. Houghtby, the manager of  the War Henp Industries at Shabbona, the hemp quota for DeKalb County will be increased by several hundred acres this year.

"He stated that due to the extension of the hemp program in DeKalb County for 1944 it appears there will be an opportunity or new  growers to sign contracts for production of this essential fiber crop."

That's Hemp To You.  --GreGen