Retired Marine Col. “Barney” Barnum is a member and active supporter of the Dean K. Phillips Memorial Chapter 227 in Arlington, VA of Northern Virginia.
He’s one of only two Medal of Honor recipients denied a White House ceremony. The other was William Loren McConagle, who commanded the U.S.S. Liberty when it was attacked by the Israelis.
Barnum, however, recently received a recognition perhaps greater than a White House ceremony. The latest Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer was named the U.S.S. Harvey C. Barnum Jr. in his honor.
The naming ceremony was held July 28, 2017, at the Marine Barracks in Washington, D.C.