Richard D. Barth, World War II
We have often remarked that fate had a hand in the way we spent our time during World War II. It was a matter of luck whether we had a desk job or were on the front lines. Such was certainly the case with Richard Barth.
His family has lived in this area for generations. His father served in World War I. He was one of three children of Ezra T. and Mary (Swinehart) Barth. His brother, Donald, a Korean War veteran is deceased, and his sister, Barbara (Barth) Weber lives near Dayton
Richard graduated from Columbian High School in 1944. He played coronet in the Columbian Marching Band. Mr. Ed Butcher encouraged him to attend Heidelberg College upon graduation.
While attending Heidelberg, he felt the need to do his part in World War II. He entered the Air Force on November 8, 1944 and was sent to Camp Attebury, Indiana for his boot camp. From there, he went to Keesler Field in Biloxi, Mississippi. As part of his training, the Air Force required all recruits to train to jump with parachutes. While jumping from a platform that simulated parachute landing, he severely hurt his back and leg. Whereupon, The Air Force gave him a choice to be medically discharged or stay in service with limited duties. He chose the latter.
Then Richard went to the Air Technical Service Command, ATSC, in Oakland, California. This base functioned as the warehouse and shipping center for parts for the airforce in the Pacific Theater.
Dick became a section leader and a corporal. His major duties were to assure that the right parts from the ATSC Center went to their correct places in the Pacific locations. Thousands of parts were loaded on each Air Force transport plane.
December 1, 1945, Dick was promoted to sergeant. Additional duties included bookkeeping and organizing the shipping list for each transport plane. Harvey Miller from Tiffin was in the same group as Dick and was promoted to sergeant on the same December date.
On March 4, l946, Sergeant Richard Barth was honorably discharged at Came Atterbury, Indiana. He had earned three ribbons and commendations for a job well done.
Dick went back to Heidelberg in the fall of 1946. He received $65 a month under the G.I. Bill during the two years he was there. He also met Elaine Tewart and they were married August 26, 1950. Elaine graduated from Heidelberg in the class of 1951. She put her Heidelberg education to good use later teaching for 22 years in second grade and two years in the sixth grade at St. Joseph Elementary. She retired in 1994.
Richard’s first job was as a teller at the Tiffin Savings Bank. In 1957 he went to Bloomville as manager of that branch. After attending the Ohio School of Banking at Ohio University and studying real estate at the Ohio State University, he became associate vice-president of the Bloomville branch.
In 1964 he transferred to the Tiffin Savings Bank as Loan Officer and Vice President. He later taught Real Estate and Finance at Tiffin University.
In April, 1968, he switched to Tri-County Bank as associate vice-president and bank manager. That bank closed in 1983. He then went to Farmers Mutual Insurance on Madison Street as secretary-treasurer. He retired from there in 1993.
Dick and Elaine have three children. David, 49, is general manager of the Port Clinton News Herald. David and his wife, Stephanie (Selmon) have three children, Ryan, Holly and Eric.
Tim, 48, and his wife, Cindy (Giesler) have four children, Heidi, a senior at Heidelberg, Gretchen, a sophomore at Heidelberg, and twin girls, Liesl, and Marthe in the Tiffin Middle School. Tim is a System Programmer and Data Base Manager at National Machinery Company.
Their daughter, Rebecca, 43, and her husband, David Barbee live in Peachland, North Carolina and have four children, Andy, Stephen, Jenny, and Carolyn. Rebecca teaches English as a second language and David is with an Energy Management Company.
Dick and Elaine remain very active in the community. She is a substitute teacher for many schools in the area. They sing in the choir and hold many responsible positions in Ebenezer United Methodist Church. Dick was a Trustee at Mercy Hospital and Tiffin University and was involved with the beginning of the School of Opportunity. He was active in scouting, in Fish, and has been president of the Tiffin Kiwanis and was on the Board of Trustees when the Kiwanis Manor was built. .
Richard volunteered for the Air Force after high school graduation and chose to stay in service after he was injured in training. He fulfilled those duties with commendations. Several times later in his life he has had to receive medical treatments related to those service injuries.
All those that know the Richard Barth family are enriched. Richard could easily be included in the roll of those in the “Greatest Generation”
– Percy