Descendant of
William B Barwick 1755 - 1807 Revolutionary Soldier
Elizabeth Phillips 1760 - 1820

TRIBUTE TO EUGENE HARRELL BARWICK
(Edited copy from History Channel web site)
written by Charles Jefferson Barwick, nephew of Eugene Barwick

Gene graduated from Cairo High School, GA in May of 1941 and was Class Valedictorian, achieving the second highest grade point average ever recorded as of that time. His Salutatorian was Ruth Walker, who just happen to be his girl.
Gene enrolled in Mercer University at Macon, GA, studying pre-med. He also played and punted for the Mercer Bears football team.
By 1943, Gene had completed over 2/3 of the curriculum required for admittance to a medical college. He was ranked in the top ten of his class. However the war was raging... The Army initiated a program called "Army Specialized Training Units " designed to allow students studying medicine and engineering to continue their educations, but in military status. In June of 1943 in was inducted into the Army.
Gene was enrolled in the University of MO and continued his studies and was a member of the Enlisted Reserve Corps of the Army. When Mercer started a similar program, Gene began process of transferring to the Navy so he could return to Mercer. However before this could happen, the Army cancelled the program and ordered all the students into active service.
Gene was assigned to the 66th Inf. Div. He became a Browning Automatic Rifleman with Co B, 264th Inf Reg.. He was near his beloved Southwest GA and his one and only girl, Ruth Walker. They married on May 5. 1944.
On Nov 15, 1944, Gene went to NY and was shipped to England. He wrote home keeping upbeat and positive. And then on Christmas Eve of 1944, Gene was shipped with many other soldiers, from England to France across the English Channel on the BUSS Leopoldville. Tragedy struck when the boat was torpedoed by an enemy submarine. Many fine men lost their lives that night, one being Eugene Harrell Barwick.

Many tragedies occur during wars, but this one took on a special bent. The events leading to and after the torpedo hit were covered-up until just recently. History Channel ran a special on this event.." BUSS Leopoldville Disaster". Gene's picture and life story was one of the features on their web site that corresponded with the TV event.