Name: James (Jim) D. Barron

Place of Birth: Somerville, MA

Interesting Home State History: Revolutionary War “The Battle of Lexington” April 19, 1775
“Birthplace of American Liberty”

Place of Recruitment: Fort Banks. MA

Branch of Service: U.S. Army

Class: Sergeant First Class, & U.S. Army Foreign Service: 4 years, 11 months and 10 days

Occupation of Japan U.S. Army 1946 to 1952

Korean War 8th Army 1950 to late 1951

Honors & Commendations: Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Good Conduct w/clasps Bronze with 2 loops, WWII Victory Medal, Army Occupation of Japan, National Defense Medal, Korean Service Medal, w/one Silver Star, United Nations Service Medal, W WII Lapel button, Parachute and Glider Badges, Marksman Badge w/Rifle Bar, Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation Badge. Also the ROK Korean War Service Medal.

Present Location: Carrollton, TX

Biography of James (Jim) D. Barron

Jim Barron was born on May 31, 1928 in Somerville, MA. He attended elementary and junior high schools in Lexington, MA. Then he went to (Henry Ford’s) Wayside Inn Boys School (high school) in Sudbury, MA for one year before being transferred to Rindge Tech High School in Cambridge, MA. After ten (10) days he was upgraded from the 11th grade to the senior class.

{There is a write up about Jim Barron in a book titled “Henry Ford’s Boys” written by C.F. Garfield and A.R. Ridley.}

On August 6, 1945 I enrolled in to the U.S. Maritime Service and received my basic training at Sheepshead Bay and Manhattan Beach Coast Guard Station in NY. I serviced four (4) months overseas in the Atlantic and in Hamilton Bermuda, qualifying for the U.S. Merchant Marine “Atlantic War Zone Medal”, November 9, 1945.

On June 25, 1946 I enlisted in the U.S. Army and after basic at Fort Knox, KY, and some special training I was shipped to the 2nd Major Port in Yokohama, Japan. About six or seven months after arriving in Yokohama five (5) of us from the Tokyo/Yokohama area were reassigned to Sendai area, orders from 8th Army Headquarters. I was chosen to volunteer for the 11th Airborne at Camp Schimmelpfeaning, Hq. Co., 188th P.I.R. as the 1st Cook and to go through parachute and glider training at Yamoto, Japan of which I did “1947:. Upon completing my special assignment in Sendai, I returned to the USA and was discharged on May 6, 1948.

Reenlisted and returned to Yokohama, remained there until the war in Korea began. On June 28, 1950, a Captain, S/Sgt. And myself were informed that we were to go to Pusan, Korea to set up a (M.P.I.S.) Military Police Investigation operation in Pusan. Shortly after arriving in Pusan the S/Sgt. Was ordered to return to Japan and the Captain and I worked together confidentially, but it was my job to get it set up.

Also, in July I lost most of teeth and when arriving at the hospital in Pusan, there was no room, so many wounded all over the place. They sent a few soldiers to get a barber chair from a local shop. It was clamped down to a couple of planks, they tied a canvas to two trees and to the medical van, and the dentist or doctor went to work on me.

At a later date I asked to go to Japan to get false teeth, however things were not going very good for us in Korea. I heard that General Walker asked if Barron can use his arms and legs? Yea! The make him teeth here. And by the way I finally got false teeth the day before Thanksgiving. Late in 1951 I was shipped to Japan and they made me new teeth.

Jim D. Barron, Korean War Veteran

I arrived in Pusan Korea in July 1950 and in late 1951 I was transferred to Japan.

My experiences related to the Korean War.

Tow or three months before North Korea invaded South Korea part of the crew on a Victory Ship in Tokyo/Yokohama Bay over powered the ship’s captain and other crew members and took the ship to Wonsan, North Korea. The ship’s captain and 1st Officer were turned over to the U.S Embassy office in Seoul, Korea. All others remained in North Korea.

Four to six weeks before the invasion we received information that they were planning to take over another ship in Yokohama. So, I was assigned to go aboard the ship for one night and a group of MP’s took over the next morning.

On June 28, 1950 a Captain, and a S/Sgt. And myself were informed that we were to go to Pusan, Korea to set up a (M.P.I.S.) Military Police investigation operation in Pusan. Shortly after arriving in Korea the S/Sgt. Was ordered to return to Japan. By the way, he was the Hangman at the War Trials in the Philippines.

The captain and I worked together confidentially for we were never seen working together at the same place. And it was my job to get the M.P.I.S. set up.

Now come the tuff part. My real job in Korea.

A total of 5,720,000 Americans served in the Korean War. Some were stationed here in the USA, some in Germany and in other countries. 54,246 lost their lives, (33629) in country) 7,286 became Prisoners of War, 2,847 died in captivity, 8,207 remain unaccounted for today.

On the record officially I was completely in charge of the M.P.I.S. Group of six (6) Military Police Investigators, plus myself.

However, my real assignment. I was the only American Military person to work with five (5) Korean Government Agents along with two (20 Korean naval Intelligence Officers) with Captain L. being my contact.

Watching and some time tracking a person/s with black market items or supplies which could be used against our forces on the front line. Watching, arresting, and questioning persons who cam from North Korea.

After we were holding our ground in South Korea and the Korean Agents I had been assigned to work with returned to Seoul, I was replaced by a Captain and a M/Sgt. At the M.P.I.S. office. A month or two after being transferred to another area a charge was placed against me for not doing my job properly and that charge was dropped by General Collins.

In January 1951 I made a trip on a Seagoing Tub Boat (# LT 535) up the coast to Wemson, North Korea with Major General Collins and a Brig. General Paul F. Yount.

After Gen. Ridgeway replaced Gen. Walker he agreed with the State Dept. and Gen. Collins was transferred out of Korea and I was given a general court marshall for not doing my job as the head of M.P.L.S. Group and my position with the Korean Government agents. Again I was found not guilty of any of the charges. As a matter of fact the Captain I worked with in July of 1950 was a witness at my last court appearance and he said “There is a razor edge between receiving a general Court Marshall or the Medal of Honor.” Barron should be receiving the Medal of Honor for he has saved thousands of lives and millions and millions of U.S. dollars doing his job.

James D. Barron, Sergeant First Class, was discharged at Fort Devens, Mass. On June 23, 1952. And my DD214 records read Detective as related to civilian occupation.

DA form 1577, Aug 90---Authorization of Awards---Date: 18 April 1994