The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to First Lieutenant (Chemical Corps) Andrew McIver Barr (ASN: 0-62281), United States Army, for gallantry in action against the enemy while serving with Company C, 2d Chemical Mortar Battalion, in action on 26 November 1950, near Sinjang, Korea. On that date, Lieutenant Barr’s platoon was given the mission of defending the right flank of the company against an attack by vastly superior Chinese Communist forces. Although the enemy occupied three surrounding ridges and were delivering heavy mortar, small-arms and machine-gun fire on the platoon’s position, Lieutenant Barr, exposing himself to the barrage of enemy fire, ran from position to position encouraging his men to hold their ground. He then set up and put into action a .50 caliber machine gun and delivered devastating fire on the enemy while the two other platoons of the company withdrew. Aware that his position was becoming untenable, he directed the withdrawal of his men until only three remained with him. Then, moving from one end of a defiladed ditch to the other, he fired his weapon from different positions, leading the enemy to believe that many more men were defending the position and thereby preventing them from charging into the area. After ascertaining that all wounded personnel in his platoon had been safely evacuated, he skillfully led his remaining three men through an enemy roadblock to friendly positions. The gallant and intrepid actions of Lieutenant Barr were directly responsible for the successful evacuation of his company and reflect great credit upon himself and the military service.

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Second Award of the Silver Star to First Lieutenant (Chemical Corps) Andrew McIver Barr (ASN: 0-62281), United States Army, for gallantry in action against the enemy while serving with Company A, 2d Chemical Mortar Battalion, in action on the morning of 24 April 1951, near Kapyong, South Korea. On that date, Company A was in support of the Princess Pat Canadian Light Infantry Battalion of the 28th British Commonwealth Brigade. The Chinese had infiltrated the infantry position, and the mortar position of Company A was attacked by a numerically superior Chinese Communist force. The Second Platoon, under the leadership of Lieutenant Barr, bore the brunt of the attack. He ordered his men to their defensive position and successfully repulsed the enemy attacks, thus preventing the Company from being overrun from that flank. Lieutenant Barr held his platoon firmly in position and repelled these attacks until ordered to withdraw. When he received the order to withdraw, he left his machine gun outpost in position to provide covering fire for the remainder of his platoon, while they loaded all of the platoon equipment into jeeps and trailers. Disregarding the fact that the position was under enemy small arms and machine gun fire, Lieutenant Barr moved openly about the area encouraging his men to load everything and went to each mortar position to assure himself that all equipment was loaded. He then called in his outpost and withdrew his platoon from the area. After his platoon had withdrawn, he re-entered the Company position alone and fired armor piercing ammunition into the barrels of the mortars of another platoon that could not be disassembled or evacuated. As a result these mortars were pierced or dented and rendered useless to the enemy. After the Company had withdrawn to an area north of Kapyong, South Korea, Lieutenant Barr organized a group of men to return to the mortar position and recover some equipment that had been left by another platoon. As the group moved through a narrow mountain pass, they were fired upon from a planned enemy ambush. Lieutenant Barr deployed his men, and as they returned the enemy fire, he moved about the area to determine the enemy strength and disposition. He came upon a position occupied by three enemy soldiers and ordered them to surrender, but was fired upon. He then killed two of them and wounded the third. Learning that his group of facing a superior number, he ordered a withdrawal and disengaged from the action suffering no casualties. Two English soldiers, who were wounded, were brought to safety, as well as the vehicle that had transported Lieutenant Barr’s party even though the brake line and one tire was shot out. The outstanding courage, leadership and gallant conduct of Lieutenant Barr in the action reflect great credit upon himself and the military service, and was greatly responsible for permitting Company A to return to action that same afternoon as an effective combat unit, and assist in halting the Chinese breakthrough in the Kapyong-Chunchon area.