Barton J. Toohey

1928 - 2014

Army
Korean War

Their Story

Barton J. Toohey was born on March 24, 1928, in Fort Dodge, Iowa, to Thomas and Florence Toohey.[1] His parents moved him and his sister, and two brothers[2] to Iowa City, Iowa, where he later graduated from St. Mary’s Catholic High School in 1946.[3] Prior to graduation, Toohey registered for Selective Service on March 25, 1946.[4]

Toohey obtained a bachelor’s degree in accounting from St. Ambrose College (Davenport, Iowa, 1950).[5] At age 22, he married Mary Barbara Kubik on March 8, 1951, in Iowa City, Iowa.[6] As the Korean War began, Toohey entered the U.S. Army as a private in 1951 and was stationed at Camp Cook, California,[7] He worked up the ranks eventually earning the rank of Sergeant First Class.[8]

A Sergeant First Class (SFC) is the first senior non-commissioned officer and is most commonly assigned the role of Platoon Sergeant to serve as chief advisor and assistant to the Platoon Leader.[9] An SFC may be in command of as many as 40 soldiers in a rifle platoon or 18 soldiers and 4 tanks in an armor platoon, depending upon their own abilities and skills.[10] Sergeant First Class is the 8th rank in the United States Army, ranking above Staff Sergeant and directly below Master Sergeant.[11]

When he completed his service with the Army during the Korean War, Toohey went on to earn an MBA from Syracuse University in 1968.[12] 

Toohey and his family returned to the Quad Cities where he began working at the Rock Island Arsenal. During his time at the Arsenal, Toohey was awarded the Meritorious Civilian Service Award twice (in 1976 and 1978) for his work as comptroller for the Army-Tank-Automotive Material Readiness Command (ARRCOM).[13]

The Meritorious Civilian Service Award is the second-highest award given to civilians by the Department of the Army.[14] It is presented to civilian employees of the Army who demonstrate excellence in carrying out their duties for a minimum period of one year, to those who demonstrate notable initiative in improving procedures or protocols, or to those who otherwise contribute to general morale and performance.[15]

Barton J. “Bart” Toohey passed away on July 7, 2014, at the age of 86, after a brief illness.[16] He was preceded in death by his wife of 61 years after her battle with pancreatic cancer.[17] Toohey was survived by their three children, seven grandchildren and two great grandchildren.[18] He was interred in burial at the National Cemetery at the Rock Island Arsenal, Rock Island, Illinois on July 11, 2014, with military rites conducted by American Legion Post 26.[19]


[1] The Rock Island Argus

[2] Ancestry.com

[3] Iowa City Press-Citizen

[4] Fold3.com

[5] The Dispatch

[6] The Rock Island Argus

[7] Iowa City Press-Citizen

[8] FindAGrave.com

[9] va.gov

[10] Defense.gov

[11] Military-ranks.org

[12] Ancestry.com

[13] The Rock Island Argus

[14] The Rock Island Argus

[15] Militarymedals.com

[16] The Dispatch

[17] FindAGrave.com

[18] The Rock Island Argus

[19] FindAGrave.com

References

REFERENCES

Army Meritorious Civilian Service Award medal and ribbon. Militarymedals.com. Accessed July-August 2022.

Army sergeant first class. Military-ranks.org. Accessed July-August 2022.

Barton J. Toohey. Ancestry.com. Accessed July-August 2022.

Barton J. Toohey. FindAGrave.com. Accessed July-August 2022.

Barton J. Toohey. World War II Army Enlistment Records database with images. Fold3.com. Accessed July-August 2022.

Barton “Bart” Toohey, obituary. (2014, 9 July). The Rock Island Argus. Rock Island, Illinois. Accessed July-August 2022.

Barton “Bart” Toohey, obituary. (2014, 9 July). The Dispatch. Moline, Illinois. Accessed July-August 2022.

Barton “Bart” Toohey, obituary. (2014, 9 July). Iowa City Press-Citizen. Iowa City, Iowa. Accessed July-August 2022.

Military ranks. Sergeant first class. Accessed July-August 2022.

Noncommissioned officers give big advantage to U.S. Military. Garamone, J. US Department of Defense. (2019, November 7). Accessed July-August 2022.

Society-Clubs. (1951, March 7). Iowa City Press-Citizen. Iowa City, Iowa. Accessed July-August 2022.

Two receive service awards at Arsenal. (1978, February 9). The Rock Island Argus. Rock Island, Illinois. Accessed July-August 2022.