OLIVER JAMES "JIM" BARR PAPERS

Oliver James "Jim" Barr, III was born in Norwood, Massachusetts May 24, 1920 to Oliver James Barr, Jr. and Marion Wolfe Barr. In 1938, Barr graduated from Loomis School (now Loomis Chaffee), a college preparatory school in Windsor, Connecticut. He later attended the Amos Tuck School of Business Administration at Dartmouth College, where he became an avid skier and graduated cum laude in May 1942.

Denied an opportunity to serve in the Navy or the Air Corps due to his poor vision, Barr sought admission to the then newly-formed "ski troops." He did not wish to be drafted into the infantry. At the time Barr applied, acceptance into the "ski troops" required three letters of recommendation. In his memoirs, Barr acknowledges obtaining two of the required letters and writing the third and "most enthusiastic" letter himself. As a result, Barr enlisted in the U.S. Army on June 9, 1942. He joined the 87th Mountain Infantry Regiment at Fort Lewis, Washington, where he was assigned to Company E.

On January 16, 1943, shortly after his arrival at Camp Hale, Colorado, Barr was sent to Fort Benning, Georgia for officer training. He graduated and received his 2nd lieutenant's commission on April 21, 1943. Three days later, he married his college sweetheart, Jean Howard. The newlyweds returned to Camp Hale, Colorado almost immediately where Barr was assigned to the 86th Infantry Regiment. Following a four-week period of gas warfare training in Baltimore, Maryland, Barr was transferred to the newly-activated 85th Infantry Regiment, where he became a platoon leader in Company I.

On July 1, 1944 Barr became the battalion S-2 (intelligence and security officer) for the 3rd Battalion of the 85th Infantry Regiment, a position he held for the remainder of the war. During combat operations in Italy, Barr received two Bronze Star Medals, a Purple Heart and a Combat Infantryman Badge.

After the war, Barr became active in the National Association of the 10th Mountain Division, and was instrumental in creating an affiliate organization, 10th Mountain Descendants, Inc.

In 1946, Barr returned to Colorado, where he worked for thirty-one years in the lumber business. In 1976, with his wife's encouragement, Barr returned to school. He studied accounting at Denver's Metro State College, and in 1977 he became a certified public accountant. He retired in 2004 at the age of 84 after working twenty-seven years as a sole proprietor specializing in income tax work.

Barr and his wife, Jean traveled extensively throughout the world, visiting every continent. They had two children and five grandchildren. Barr passed away at his home in Denver, Colorado on April 16, 2005.