Vietnam: Only a handful live to receive their medals. What happened next? Did you remain in-country?

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Barnum: After Harvest Moon, I was ordered to Lima Battery, 4th Battalion, 12th Marines (4/12), which had towed and self-propelled guns. The gunline was strung out over an 11-mile area. I worked in the FDC (fire direction center) and on the guns. My battery gunny was Gunnery Sgt. Leland B. Crawford, who went on to become sergeant major of the Marine Corps. In February 1966, my 60 days was up, and I reported back to Marine Barracks, Pearl Harbor.

Vietnam: You went back for a second tour in Vietnam in 1968-69. Wasn’t that unusual for a Medal of Honor recipient to be sent back to a combat zone?

Barnum: I was an aide to General Lew Walt, who, at that time, was assistant commandant of the Marine Corps. He said to me, If you can last a year with me, I’ll send you anywhere you want to go. When my year was up, I informed him I wanted to go back to Vietnam. He pulled some strings and I was sent back as CO of Echo Battery, 2nd Battalion, 12th Marines, the battery I was with in 1965. My battalion was in support of the 9th Marines, and Colonel Robert H. Barrow, a future commandant of the Marine Corps, was their regimental commander. My battery saw a lot of action. We built 16 fire support bases throughout northern I Corps and participated in Operation Dewey Canyon, supposedly the largest and most successful operation of the Vietnam War. I was very proud of my Marines. North Vietnamese Army forces tried to overrun my battery one night at Fire Support Base Cunningham. We won–they didn’t. I was later wounded at FSB Spark when a bunker entryway I was standing in was struck by rockets and mortars and collapsed.

Vietnam: When did you retire?

Barnum: In 1989, after nearly 28 years of active service. And I must say it was an interesting 28 years. It was a great way of life.

Al Hemingway interviewed Harvey C. Barnum, Jr., U.S. Marine Corps (ret.) and the interview was originally published in the October 1996 issue of Vietnam Magazine. For more great articles be sure to subscribe to Vietnam Magazine today!

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