Scope and Contents

Approximately a quarter of a linear foot of correspondence from Frederick Leaworth Barbour to Kathryn S. McDorman. Frederick was the in the Special Forces in Vietnam in 1968 and 1969. In his letters he shared his experiences in Vietnam, describing what it was like to be an officer in the special forces, battles that he witnessed, and what it was like to loose friends and soldiers in combat. He also shared his political views and a lot of information on the special forces and how they operated. The collection also contains 14 color slides.

Biographical / Historical

Rick was born May 28, 1942, in Chicago. He served a major in the U.S. Army Fifth Special Forces in remote parts of Vietnam and Cambodia and served as an A-Team Commander. He was decorated with two Bronze Stars, the Purple Heart, the Army Commendation Medal, a valor pin, the Air Medal, and the Combat Infantryman Badge. A skillful area field specialist, his troops remember him for his humanitarian efforts assisting civilians and protecting schools and hospitals.

He graduated from Southern Illinois University with a bachelor's degree in history and philosophy as well as a master's degree in business administration. He then earned a doctorate in marketing research from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

*Biographical note taken from Barbour's obituary. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/43091816/fredric-leaworth-barbour