Thomas Haynie Barksdale, Jr. – Colonel, United States Air Force

From a contemporary press report:

Thomas Haynie Barksdale Jr., 76, an Air Force colonel who after retiring from active military duty as a judge advocate general led a varied civilian career that included Senate aide and antitrust lawyer, died of emphysema October 5, 1999 at his home in Arlington.

Colonel Barksdale, a native of Georgia, entered the Navy in 1941 and was commissioned as an officer and Navy aviator the following year.

During World War II, he flew combat missions over the Atlantic and became one of the first pilots to fly conventional combat aircraft and antisubmarine blimps.

Following the war, he attended Stetson University in DeLand, Fla., and the University of Georgia on the G.I. bill. With a law degree from the latter university, he joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation as a special agent in the bureau’s office in Danville, Illinois.

It was there that Colonel Barksdale helped capture an escaped convict, who at the time was one of the FBI’s 10 most wanted. With the outbreak of the Korean War, Colonel Barksdale reentered the military, this time volunteering for the Air Force.

He served in the Office of Special Investigations in Germany and Austria during the war and later as a judge advocate general.

Shortly after retiring from active military duty in 1965, he became an administrative assistant to Sen. Frank Moss (D-Utah).

Colonel Barksdale went on to serve as staff director of the Senate committee on commerce and select committee on crime.

From 1974 to 1995, he worked for the American Petroleum Institute as a senior counsel and specialist on antitrust law. He was counsel to the McNair law firm in Washington from 1995 to 1997.

Survivors include his wife of 53 years, Nancy Casey Barksdale of Arlington; two children, Casey Reidy McLean and Thomas H. Barksdale III of Falls Church; a sister; and five grandchildren.

BARKSDALE, THOMAS H., JR., Col., USAF (Ret.)

On Tuesday, October 5, 1999, THOMAS H. BARKSDALE, JR. of Arlington, Virginia, beloved husband of Nancy Casey Barksdale; father of Thomas H. Barksdale, III and Casey Reidy. Also survived by five grandchildren and one sister.

Funeral services will be held at Fort Myer Chapel on Wednesday, October 20, 9:45 a.m. Interment Arlington National Cemetery.

Reception immediately following at Fort Myer’s Officers Club. Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Northern Virginia, 6565 Arlington Blvd., Suite 500, Falls Church, Virginia 22042.

Michael Robert Patterson

Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.

Reviewed by: Michael Howard