11. David Barkley and the Meuse River in France
When the United States finally entered what was then known as the Great War, later to be called World War One after an even larger conflict surpassed it, American’s flocked to recruiting stations. Among them was a young Texan of Mexican-American descent named David Bennes Barkley Cantu. Cantu was his mother’s maiden name, which he used as his last name after his father abandoned the family. When it became time for him to join the army he used his father’s last name – Barkley – in order that he not be sent to a Mexican-American unit, the United States Army being racially segregated at the time. By 1918 he was with the American 89th Division, 356th Infantry regiment, serving at the front near the Meuse River in France. In November, 1918 he and a fellow infantryman, Sergeant Waldo Hatler, were sent to observe German positions along the Meuse.
The two Americans swam across the river near Pouilly-sur-Meuse, allowing them to approach the German positions and observe their deployments from the rear. After obtaining the necessary information regarding the German defenses and deployments they returned by the way they came. In his Medal of Honor citation, Barkley is referred to as having been, “seized with cramps” which led to his drowning in the chilly waters of the Meuse. Sergeant Hatler was successful crossing the river and the information was provided to American leaders. It proved unnecessary. Two days later an armistice was announced and combat action ceased at 11:00 AM, on the eleventh day of November, the eleventh month of the year. The date became noted as Armistice Day, which was later changed to Veteran’s Day, though David Barkley’s heroism is all but forgotten.