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| Radioman Kenneth Barrus served on the destroyer escort USS Frederick C. Davis, the last ship sunk by the Germans in the Battle of the Atlantic. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/101908/kenneth-ladean-barrus https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Frederick_C._Davis |
Kenneth LaDean "Dean" Barrus never had a chance to reach 100 years old today. Instead, he sacrificed his life for our freedom.
He was born on July 6, 1919 in Fairview, Wyoming. His parents Orlando and Mary were born in Wyoming and Utah, respectively. By 1920 the family had moved to Tooele, Utah. His father worked as a farmer and later as a garage manager. Dean had one older sister and two younger sisters. He had a promising future, having been selected as an all-state high school football player and being elected first governor of the 1939-1940 Boys State. By 1940 Dean had completed four years of high school and was still living with his parents. He completed two years of college. He was called to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in South America.
Upon his return to the United States, Dean enlisted in the US Navy on June 5,1943. By 1945 he was a radioman 3rd class, serving on the destroyer escort USS Frederick C. Davis (DE-136).
By 1945 Frederick C. Davis was providing coastal convoy escort out of New York and also conducting anti-submarine patrols. On April 24, 1945, it discovered the German U-boat U-546 which attacked first and sunk the destroyer escort with a torpeodo. Radioman Barrus was one of 115 Americans lost. This was the last US Naval vessel lost in the Battle of the Atlantic. Shortly thereafter on the same day U-546 was sunk by five other US destroyer escorts.
His cenotaph grave is at Tooele City Cemetery in Tooele, Utah.
Radarman Barrus's story is also told at https://www.fold3.com/page/530003468-kenneth-l-barrus/facts. This is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project, Utah pilot.
Last year on this date I profiled Distinguished Flying Cross hero Donald Henry, USS Essex torpedo bomber pilot. You can read about Donald here.
On behalf of the fallen, if you would like to see more people become aware of this project to honor the WW2 fallen, be sure to share with others on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Thanks for your interest!
I created this video to explain why I started this project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXt8QA481lY.
Please consider joining the public Facebook group to increase the exposure of this project. Go to: WW2 Fallen 100
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