Staff Sergeant Thomas J. Barrett Jr. was killed in action at the Battle of Ia Drang at Landing Zone X-Ray in Vietnam:
🪖 Service & Background
- Born: November 8, 1931, in Many, Sabine Parish, Louisiana
- Branch: U.S. Army, 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, Company C
- Tour Start: August 18, 1965
- Killed in Action: November 15, 1965, at age 34
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⚔️ Battle of Ia Drang – LZ X-Ray
- On Day 2 of the battle, Barrett’s unit was hit by a massive assault from the 7th Battalion, 66th NVA Regiment, and the H-15 Main Force Viet Cong Battalion
- Company C, where Barrett was positioned, faced intense hand-to-hand combat. Every officer in the company was either killed or wounded
- Barrett was killed by enemy small arms fire while defending the perimeter of the landing zone
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🏅 Honors & Legacy
- Burial: Baton Rouge National Cemetery, Section 19, Site 10
- Memorialized: His name is inscribed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C., Panel 03E, Line 51
- Awards: Purple Heart, Combat Infantryman Badge, and other commendations
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đź’¬ Remembrances
- Veterans from Louisiana have actively worked to honor Barrett’s legacy, including efforts to locate his relatives for memorial projects
- His story is a poignant part of the broader narrative of the Ia Drang campaign, which was later depicted in the film We Were Soldiers
His memory was honored at this ceremony – https://youtu.be/V6ZeGfeLl5Y?si=tXP9vfdrogfwtD0U
