Roy Edward Barrow

He is finally coming home. Master Sgt. Roy E. Barrow, lost over 70 years ago, on the frozen battle ground of the Chosin Reservoir in what is now North Korea, will finally come home to be with his family. On July 16, 1911, the late William Edward Barrow and Lottie Ophelia Williams Barrow, had twin boys in York, Alabama. Roy and Ralph would grow up in Alabama and Meridian, MS. In the mid 1930's, at the height of the "Great Depression" Roy would join the United States Army, eventually obtaining the rank of Captain. He served with General George Patton's 3rd Army that would plunge deep into Germany by the end of WWII. Coming home following the war, Roy went from active-duty Army to the Reserves. To downsize the military, the Army reduced his rank to Master Sgt. as were many other officers. He eventually became an instructor at the National Guard Armory in Valdosta, GA. While in Valdosta, he became good friends with Robert Noel. Robert introduced him to his sister, Louise, who was visiting him from Warren, Ohio. It was love at first sight. Louise went home to Ohio, worked a notice, and returned to Valdosta to marry Roy on Nov. 6, 1948. In Sept. 1949 they welcomed their daughter Gloria Jean, named by her father.

When the Korean Conflict began in 1950, MSgt Barrow was activated to rejoin active duty and deployed to Korea in August 1950. On Nov. 27, 1950, Chinese troops attacked the US X Corps to begin the Battle of the Chasin Reservoir. Sometime between the 6th and the 12th of December, MSgt. Barrow disappeared into the frozen battleground. Of the approximately 3200 men assigned to the 31st Regimental Combat Team, only 385 were considered fit to fight by the 5th of Dec. During the battle, many of the soldiers were buried temporarily on the battlefield. Following the war, in 1954, Operation Glory led to the exchange of 2900 Americans to the United Nations Command by the North Koreans. In 1955 848 sets of remains were deemed unidentifiable and were buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii. MSgt. Barrow was one of these.

MSgt Barrow was declared dead in 1953. His daughter, Gloria, was 11 months old when he left Valdosta to serve his country thousands of miles away. A few years after the declaration, her mother would remarry and try to move on, but Gloria would hold her father in her heart throughout the decades that he has been missing. Over 20 years ago, in 2001 the Dept of Defense began a more concerted effort to identify family members of the missing soldiers. Family members were asked to donate DNA samples to compare with remains as they were found. Gloria has continued to be involved in the process of searching POW/MIAs and monitor any new developments by meeting with Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. Originally the DOD only wanted DNA samples from the maternal side of the family. Two of MSgt. Barrow's nieces (daughters of his sisters) donated DNA samples. Last year while attending the Dedication of Wall of Remembrance and DPAA Family Member Update Gloria was asked to give a DNA sample. She had a feeling then that something new was happening in the search for her dad. Then she received the news on Sept. 26, 2023, that her dad's remains had been recovered and positively identified.

His daughter had many choices of where her dad's final resting place would be. He could have been interred at Arlington National Cemetery or any National Cemetery, in York, AL or Meridian, MS where many relatives are buried. Gloria asked herself where her dad would have wanted to be. Looking back at letters her dad had written to his siblings, all he kept saying was "I just want to go home to Louise and Gloria." To honor her father's memory and celebrate his return to his last true home he will be escorted from Hawaii by his great grandson Sgt. Joseph Padgett and a funeral will be held for Master Sergeant Roy E. Barrow at 2pm on Saturday Jan. 27, 2024 at the River Pavilion at McLane Riverview Memorial Gardens. The procession to the cemetery will begin at Carson McLane Funeral Home at 1pm.

Survivors include his daughter and son-in-law, Gloria, and Wendell Johnson, one granddaughter, and two grandsons, nine great grandchildren and six great great grandchildren and one niece and one nephew. Others who have passed away include his wife, one granddaughter, Laura Kathleen Harrell Potter, five brothers, and two sisters.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the National POW/MIA Memorial & Museum, please specify in honor (or memory) of MSgt Roy Edward Barrow, mail to: Cecil Field POW/MIA Memorial, Inc., 6112 POW-MIA Memorial Parkway, Jacksonville, FL 32221 or online: https://powmiamemorial.org/support-the-memorial/

Condolences may be conveyed to the family on the obituary page of www.mclanecares.com. Carson Mclane Funeral Home