bjgreen
David M. Barry’s portrait appeared in Sunset magazine, December 1918
By Betsy J. Green
Although the news was censored and generally upbeat, there was no avoiding the reports that brought sadness to everyone who knew someone in the war. This month, the news of the death of the first young man from Santa Barbara cast a pall over the local press. Twenty-four-year-old Lieutenant David M. Barry was killed in action in France.
The mayor asked that flags be flown at half-mast. In addition, the bells at the Mission and Our Lady of Sorrows tolled 24 times to count out the years of the young man’s life. (Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church was located at the northeast corner of Figueroa and State streets.)
My next Way Back When book — 1918 — will be available in local bookstores in November, and at Amazon.com. This will be the fifth book in my series of the history of Santa Barbara, one year at a time.
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