Funeral services for Kenneth Keith (Scooter) Barclay, LTC, Ret, of Killeen, will be held at 11 AM on July 12, 2021 at Crawford-Bowers Funeral Home in Killeen.
Mr. Barclay died June 29, 2021 at Baylor Scott and White, in Temple, Texas. He was born May 2, 1924 in Spokane, Washington to Kenneth Campbell Barclay and Alice Caroline (Kunsch) Barclay.
Mr. Barclay was preceded in death by his parents, his beloved wife Jacqueline Marie Barclay, his brother Scott Barclay, and a grandson, Kenneth Barclay Wyatt.
“Scooter”, as he was known, grew up in Spokane, Washington and graduated in 1941 from Hill Military Academy in Portland, Oregon. He attended Washington State University in 1941-42 and returned after World War II, graduating in January 1949. He was active in the ROTC, Sigma Nu fraternity, was president of the Young Republicans Club, and was a member of a national championship ROTC rifle team.
LTC Barclay was a veteran of WWII, serving with the 27th Infantry Division, 165th Regiment (the famed Fighting 69th) in combat in the Pacific Theater at Makin, Saipan, and ending the war as an acting platoon leader on Okinawa. He rejoined the Army in September, 1949, and served in Germany, Korea, Viet Nam, Okinawa, and Thailand. He served over 10 years in US Army Special Forces including Company A, 77th Special Forces Group 1956-58; Headquarters, 5th Special Forces Group, Ft. Bragg, 1962-66, during which time he served as J3 Briefing Officer in JUWTF Atlantic (the first Joint Unconventional Warfare Taskforce ever formed in the US Army) preparing for deployment to Cuba; TDY 1967-68 to Defense Language Institute, Monterrey, CA to study Thai; Commander Co A (battalion size), 1st Special Forces Group, Okinawa, 1967-69; Special Warfare School, Ft. Bragg, 1969-70; and in 1971 commanded 46th Special Forces Augment Detachment in Thailand, principal trainer of the Royal Thai Army Division deployed to Viet Nam. Among his awards were the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, and the usual service ribbons for military and overseas service. He was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge, Master Parachute Badge, Halo Parachute Badge, Ranger Tab, Jungle Warfare Patch, and was a Thai linguist. After 30 years’ service, he retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1973.
After retirement, Scooter attended and graduated from Central Texas College and entered real estate in 1973. He was very active in the Fort Hood Area Board of REALTORS and serving several times as a director, and president in 2014. At the New Orleans National Convention, he was recognized as the oldest President of a Real Estate Association in the US! Throughout the years, he served on many Communication Committees and the MLS Committee. He was a member of many military associations; the American Legion Post 223, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9192, Veterans Corps 69th Regiment, and Chapter 77, Special Forces Association.
In his life he had four great loves, his family, his country, the military, and the Fort Hood Board of Realtors.
He is survived by his son Kenneth C. Barclay II and his wife Denise; his grandsons Trent Barclay and wife Melody, Trace Barclay and great-granddaughter, Kinsley, all of Hamilton, Texas, Trever Barclay and wife Tami and great-grandson Kade Barclay and great-granddaughter Emma Barclay of Killeen, Texas; his daughter Melinda and husband Steve Wyatt and Ryan Wyatt and wife Kelly, and great-grandsons, Anson, Valin and Davin Wyatt, and grandson Kenneth Wyatt (deceased) all of Knoxville, Tennessee.
As is customary at the funeral of all Fighting 69th deceased, the following poem, by the famous poet Joyce Kilmer KIA
30 July 1918, will be read.
ROUGE BOUQUET
Go to Sleep, Go to Sleep,
Slumber well where the shells screamed and fell
Lay your rifles on the muddy floor
You will not need them anymore.
Dangers past; now at last
Go to Sleep!
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