From: DICTIONARY OF AMERICAN NAVAL FIGHTING SHIPS, Vol. I, pp. 98-99.

Born in Keyser, W. Va., 80 June 1918, Woodrow Wilson Barr enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1942. Private First Class Barr was killed in action at Tulagi, Solomon Islands, 7 August 1942.

(DE-576: dp. 1400; l. 306'; b. 37', dr. 13' 6"; s. 24 k.; cpl. 186; a. 3 3"; cl. Buckley)

Barr (DE-576) was launched 28 December 1943 by Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyards, Inc., Hingham, Mass.; sponsored by Mrs. Cora Dell Barr, mother of Private First Class Barr, and commissioned 16 February 1944, Lieutenant Commander H. H. Love, USNR, in com mand.

On 22 April 1944 Barr sailed from Norfolk and Joined TG 21.11 (Block Island group) in anti-submarine operations off the Cape Verde Islands. On 29 May, while carrying out search operations in the Azores-Gibraltar area, Block Island (CV E-21) was sunk by an enemy submarine and Barr received a torpedo which totally wrecked her stern. She lost four dead, 12 missing, and 14 injured. The following morning the injured and excess personnel were transferred to Eugene E. Elmore (DE-686) and Barr was towed by that vessel, Wilhoite (DE-397), and the Netherlands tug Antic into Casablanca, arriving 5 June.

After undergoing preliminary repairs at Casablanca, Barr was towed to the United States by Cherokee (ATF-66), arriving at Boston 25 July. The vessel entered dry dock at Boston Navy Yard; was converted into an auxiliary high speed transport; and reclassified APD-39, 81 July 1944. In November 1944 Barr proceeded to San Francisco escorting Teton (AGC-14) and then continued on to Pearl Harbor to Join the Amphibious Forces Pacific Fleet. On 10 January 1945, after intensive training exercises with underwater demolition teams, Barr sailed from Pearl Harbor and arrived off the southern end of Iwo Jima 16 February. She remained there until 4 March supporting Underwater Demolition Team 13 and performing patrol and screening duty.

On 21 March 1945 Barr, carrying Underwater Demolition Team 13, got underway for the invasion of Okinawa. She continued to operate in the Okinawa-Saipan-Philippine area, performing patrol duty and escorting convoys until August when she saile d for Japan as a part of the occupation force.

Barr arrived in Tokyo Bay 30 August and helped with the evacuation of Allied prisoners of war from the central Honshu area until 20 September. During October and November she served as barracks and service ship at Nagasaki for the United States Str ategic Bombing Survey. On 1 December 1945 Barr departed Tokyo Bay for the United States, arriving at San Diego 19 December. After undergoing repairs, she sailed for the east coast via the Panama Canal and upon arrival commenced her pre-inactivatio n overhaul. Barr went out of commission in reserve at Green Cove Springs, Fla., 12 July 1946.

She received three battle stars for her World War II service.