Dwight Marvin Barney
Sergeant Dwight M. Barney served with the Marine detachment aboard USS Houston (CA-30).
He was reported missing in action at the battle of Sunda Strait, Indonesia, on 1 March 1942.
Branch
Marine Corps Regular
Service Number 263132
Current Status
Remains Not Recovered
Pursuit Category
Based on circumstances of loss, this individual is considered permanently non-recoverable.
Capsule History
Pre-War Life
Birth
September 9, 1909
in Flint, MI
Parents
Daniel Duane Barney (d. 1929)
Elizabeth E. (Babcock) Barney
Education
Flint Central High School
Culver Military Academy
Albion College / Ohio State University
Occupation & Employer
Bank manager
First Federal Savings and Loan (Flint, MI)
Service Life
Entered Service
January 3, 1938
at Chicago, IL
Home Of Record
1214 Beach Street
Flint, MI
Next Of Kin
Mother, Mrs. Elizabeth Barney
Military Specialty
Quartermaster
Individual Decorations
Purple Heart
Loss And Burial
Circumstances Of Loss
Dwight Barney enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1938 and went through boot camp at Parris Island. He served as an instructor at the Marine Corps Institute in Washington, DC, and as a quartermaster at several stateside posts. On 1 November 1941, Barney received orders transferring him to Guam via the USS Chaumont. He was halfway across the Pacific when the island fell to the Japanese; Barney’s ship was diverted to Australia, and he was picked up by the Marine detachment of USS Houston.
On the night of 28 February 1942, a small flotilla of Allied ships, including the Houston, was engaged by a superior Japanese fleet in the Java Sea. After a ferocious fight, the Houston went down in the waters of Sunda Strait. Several hundred of her complement escaped the sinking ship and struggled in the water for hours before being picked up and taken prisoner.
Sergeant Barney was not seen after the sinking. His remains were never found, and he was declared dead on 15 December 1945.
Burial Information or Disposition
None; remains not recovered. The Houston wreck is considered his final resting place.
Memorials
Next Of Kin Address
Address of mother, Mrs. Elizabeth Barney.
Location Of Loss
Approximate location of the USSÂ Houston wreck site.
