Medal of Honor: Carlton W. Barrett - World War II - June 6, 1944

Name: Carlton W. Barrett
Rank: Private
Branch: U.S. Army
War: World War II
Unit: 18th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division
Date of Action: June 6, 1944
Location: Near St. Laurent-sur-Mer, France

Summary of Action

On 6 June 1944, during the opening moments of the Allied invasion of Normandy, Private Carlton W. Barrett displayed extraordinary heroism under the relentless fire of German defenses at Omaha Beach.

Landing amid one of the bloodiest assaults of D-Day, Barrett's landing craft came under intense enemy fire that forced him to wade ashore through neck-deep water.

As bullets and mortar shells struck all around him, many soldiers struggled in the surf, weighed down by heavy equipment and at risk of drowning before they could even reach the beach.

Ignoring the danger to himself, Barrett repeatedly turned back into the water.

Time after time, he entered the surf to pull struggling comrades to safety and prevent them from drowning under the combined hazards of enemy fire and deep water.

Even after reaching the beach, he refused to remain pinned down.

Working tirelessly in the face of continuous machine-gun and mortar fire, Barrett carried wounded soldiers from the exposed shoreline to evacuation boats waiting offshore, helping save numerous lives.

Although assigned the relatively modest duty of serving as a guide, he repeatedly volunteered for additional dangerous tasks.

He carried vital dispatches the length of the fire-swept beach, assisted wounded men wherever he found them, calmed soldiers stunned by the chaos of the assault, and emerged as a natural leader during one of the most desperate moments of the invasion.

For hours, Barrett exposed himself to enemy fire without hesitation, placing the welfare of others above his own survival.

His steadfast courage and selfless devotion to duty inspired those around him and reflected the highest traditions of the United States Army.

Medal of Honor Citation

BARRETT, CARLTON W.

Rank and organization: Private, U.S. Army, 18th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division.

Place and date: Near St. Laurent-sur-Mer, France, 6 June 1944.

Entered service at: Albany, N.Y.

Birth: Fulton, N.Y.

G.O. No.: 78, 2 October 1944.

Citation:

For gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty on 6 June 1944, in the vicinity of St. Laurent-sur-Mer, France. On the morning of D-Day Pvt. Barrett, landing in the face of extremely heavy enemy fire, was forced to wade ashore through neck-deep water. Disregarding the personal danger, he returned to the surf again and again to assist his floundering comrades and save them from drowning. Refusing to remain pinned down by the intense barrage of small-arms and mortar fire poured at the landing points, Pvt. Barrett, working with fierce determination, saved many lives by carrying casualties to an evacuation boat lying offshore. In addition to his assigned mission as guide, he carried dispatches the length of the fire-swept beach; he assisted the wounded; he calmed the shocked; he arose as a leader in the stress of the occasion. His coolness and his dauntless daring courage while constantly risking his life during a period of many hours had an inestimable effect on his comrades and is in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Army.