BATH, Maine — A Marine who was awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism in the Vietnam War is getting to see a warship bearing his name take shape in Maine.
Retired Col. Harvey C. Barnum Jr. was on hand Thursday for the official start of fabrication on the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer at Bath Iron Works.
Barnum was awarded the Medal of Honor for action in 1965. He was serving on temporary duty as an artillery forward observer when he took over a rifle company after the commander was killed. He successfully evacuated the unit after mounting a counterattack.
He retired from the Marines in 1989 after serving 27 years. The guided missile destroyer will be 510 feet long and displace 9,200 tons when it’s completed.
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