thedrifter
08-22-09, 07:04 AM
U.S. Marine from Rowan awarded Legion of Merit
Saturday, August 22, 2009 3:00 AM
By Seth Leonard
sleonard@salisburypost.comBarry Perry wasn't looking for honors. He just wanted to help fellow U.S. Marines.
He reached his goal and more. Perry helped better prepare Marines for certain types of warfare, he saved the Marine Corps more than $97 million in the process.
Then came the honors. For his accomplishments, Perry, a Rowan County native and retired master gunnery sergeant, was awarded the Legion of Merit.
And that's an accomplishment in itself. Traditionally, the lowest rank to be considered for the Legion of Merit award is colonel.
"I was very surprised to be awarded the Legion of Merit," Perry said. "As far as I know I'm the only enlisted man to be awarded that. It's usually reserved for high senior officers."
Still, that's not the first hurdle Perry has overcome to fulfill what seemed his destiny to be a U.S. Marine.
The 40-year-old was born on Nov. 10, the same day the Marine Corps was established 194 years before. He grew up in Rockwell, where his father pastored at West Park Baptist.
After playing football at East Rowan High School, Perry decided he wanted to join the Marines in lieu of completing his studies.
"I kept telling him, I am not signing for you," said his mother, Janice. "He was just barely 17 years old."
Eventually she did give consent for her son to enlist and gave him a chance to move on from working at Hardee's.
From there, the rest is history, because Perry stepped from the life of an average teenager into the crucible that is the Marine Corps. He explained that the first step was the most important.
"The Marine Corps changed my life," he said. "There's no greater honor than serving your country, and there's no better place to do it than the United States Marine Corps. It'll change you forever, in a good way."
Although he enlisted without a high school diploma, Perry refused to be held back. He served in the first Gulf War in the early '90s and soon became a source of respected counsel for the Corps.
"What I did for the Marine Corps was CBRN defense," he said.
Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense is a subsection of the Corps that deals with training and equipping Marines to cope with hazards on the battlefield.
"CBRN Defense Marines are there to prepare other Marines to perform combat operations under the threat of CBRN so they can push forward and not lose momentum in a combat situation," Perry said.
While he was part of that division, which commanded 800 specialized soldiers, Perry made some big discoveries. Overall, he was able to discern that large parts of the current system for fielding and equipping Marines during CBRN situations were inoperable. He helped scrap and rewrite the play book.
That careful consideration saved the Corps $97.35 million, and potentially saved U.S. soldiers from entering a combat zone unprepared.
According to the Marines, Perry's "superior performance of duties ... highlight the culmination of 23 years of honorable and dedicated Marine Corps service."
At least that's the way the citation awarding him the Legion of Merit reads. The award is sixth highest in prestige and is worn about the neck, as the Congressional Medal of Honor is worn.
Perry is newly retired, but he's not stopping. Through the American Military University, he earned a bachelor's degree in environmental science. The university's motto is, "The ultimate weapon is an educated mind," and in line with that, Perry will eventually pursue a master's degree.
He is preparing to continue his lengthy service at the Naval Service Warfare Center in Virginia. There, he will share his knowledge of chemical and radiological warfare to help improve the Navy's systems, just like he did with the Marines.
Perry has three sons, the oldest of whom is playing linebacker on a scholarship at Concord University in Va. His wife, Angel, is also a retired Marine who now looks after their younger sons.
Ellie
Saturday, August 22, 2009 3:00 AM
By Seth Leonard
sleonard@salisburypost.comBarry Perry wasn't looking for honors. He just wanted to help fellow U.S. Marines.
He reached his goal and more. Perry helped better prepare Marines for certain types of warfare, he saved the Marine Corps more than $97 million in the process.
Then came the honors. For his accomplishments, Perry, a Rowan County native and retired master gunnery sergeant, was awarded the Legion of Merit.
And that's an accomplishment in itself. Traditionally, the lowest rank to be considered for the Legion of Merit award is colonel.
"I was very surprised to be awarded the Legion of Merit," Perry said. "As far as I know I'm the only enlisted man to be awarded that. It's usually reserved for high senior officers."
Still, that's not the first hurdle Perry has overcome to fulfill what seemed his destiny to be a U.S. Marine.
The 40-year-old was born on Nov. 10, the same day the Marine Corps was established 194 years before. He grew up in Rockwell, where his father pastored at West Park Baptist.
After playing football at East Rowan High School, Perry decided he wanted to join the Marines in lieu of completing his studies.
"I kept telling him, I am not signing for you," said his mother, Janice. "He was just barely 17 years old."
Eventually she did give consent for her son to enlist and gave him a chance to move on from working at Hardee's.
From there, the rest is history, because Perry stepped from the life of an average teenager into the crucible that is the Marine Corps. He explained that the first step was the most important.
"The Marine Corps changed my life," he said. "There's no greater honor than serving your country, and there's no better place to do it than the United States Marine Corps. It'll change you forever, in a good way."
Although he enlisted without a high school diploma, Perry refused to be held back. He served in the first Gulf War in the early '90s and soon became a source of respected counsel for the Corps.
"What I did for the Marine Corps was CBRN defense," he said.
Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense is a subsection of the Corps that deals with training and equipping Marines to cope with hazards on the battlefield.
"CBRN Defense Marines are there to prepare other Marines to perform combat operations under the threat of CBRN so they can push forward and not lose momentum in a combat situation," Perry said.
While he was part of that division, which commanded 800 specialized soldiers, Perry made some big discoveries. Overall, he was able to discern that large parts of the current system for fielding and equipping Marines during CBRN situations were inoperable. He helped scrap and rewrite the play book.
That careful consideration saved the Corps $97.35 million, and potentially saved U.S. soldiers from entering a combat zone unprepared.
According to the Marines, Perry's "superior performance of duties ... highlight the culmination of 23 years of honorable and dedicated Marine Corps service."
At least that's the way the citation awarding him the Legion of Merit reads. The award is sixth highest in prestige and is worn about the neck, as the Congressional Medal of Honor is worn.
Perry is newly retired, but he's not stopping. Through the American Military University, he earned a bachelor's degree in environmental science. The university's motto is, "The ultimate weapon is an educated mind," and in line with that, Perry will eventually pursue a master's degree.
He is preparing to continue his lengthy service at the Naval Service Warfare Center in Virginia. There, he will share his knowledge of chemical and radiological warfare to help improve the Navy's systems, just like he did with the Marines.
Perry has three sons, the oldest of whom is playing linebacker on a scholarship at Concord University in Va. His wife, Angel, is also a retired Marine who now looks after their younger sons.
Ellie