AOG - Official notification - Oct 4th 2006
It is our sad duty to notify you of the death of a member of theClass of 1992. This notification is being provided to you as a service of the Association of Graduates and is being automaticallysent to all members of the Class of 1992 with E-mail addresses on file at the AOG. 
Name: MAJ Guy Richard Barattieri, Jr.   
USACullum-Class: 48911-1992
Constituent Category: Graduate DOD: 10/04/2006
Place: Iraq
Notified by: Scott P. Belveal, Classmate
Burial: TBD
Cause: KIA - IED
Funeral/wake attendees are encouraged to use the Class RepInfo Sheet at www.aogusma.org/class/gradguide/sec_8rep.htm
T to record Memorial Article information. 
All information available at this time is included above.
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Fund set up to help family of slain soldier
Friends reaching out to former Seattle police officer

By MIKE BARBER
P-I REPORTER

As word of his death continued to spread among his many friends and family around the country Thursday, a fund was set up for the family of Washington National Guard Maj. Guy R. Barattieri, 36, a West Point graduate, decorated Green Beret and former Seattle police officer.

Barattieri, a major in the state National Guard's Alpha Co., 1st Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group based in Buckley, was killed Wednesday morning by a roadside bomb in Iraq. Though he was at the time working in a civilian contract capacity, Barattieri, originally of Ohio, was a senior officer with the state National Guard "in good standing" at the time of his death, Guard officials said Thursday.

"The Bear Fund," referring to Barattieri's long-standing nickname since his high school football days near Cincinnati, was created through the National Guard Association of Washington.

The account through the American Lake Credit Union, Camp Murray, will be used to help Barattieri's wife of one year, Laurel, and 3-month-old daughter, Odessa, and stepdaughter, Rees.

"Bear was a doting stepfather to her, taking her to swim lessons, making her lunch and taking her to school every day," said Mary Mascarella, a family friend in Seattle.

Donations can be made in his name to the credit union through account number 13878, Guard officials said.

Donations can be made by visiting any branch, or arranged by telephoning the main branch, 800-228-2377, or the Department of Veterans Affairs branch at 800-244-0874.

Inquiries about electronic funds transfers should be directed to Cindy Arnold by e-mail, cindy@americanlake.org.

Barattieri had been in Iraq only a few days before he was killed. Barattieri had served numerous times in Iraq either with the military or lately working for a contractor, his friends and military officials said.

Since last year, he had held the post of operations officer for the state National Guard's Special Operations Detachment -- Pacific.

Buckley's Green Beret company is one of the military's elite units that carry out secretive missions.

A 1992 West Point graduate, Barattieri first served in the regular Army infantry before becoming a Green Beret and serving with the 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Lewis.

After leaving active duty as a captain, Barattieri became a citizen-soldier in August 2000 with the state National Guard's Special Forces outfit in Buckley, which is east of Tacoma. From August 2001 to 2004, he was a Seattle police officer in civilian life, and he was elected president of his police academy class.

Barattieri went on activie duty in 2002 as a Special Forces detachment commander in Kuwait. In March 2003, his team led the 101st Infantry Division on its march to Baghdad. Barattieri received a Bronze Star and Combat Infantryman's badge for his role.

Barattieri transferred to the state National Guard's information operations group in 2004 before being appointed last year to the post he held at the time of his death.

Many who knew Barattieri here, including many police officers, were stunned at his death. And Barattieri's many friends nationwide Thursday read of his death and wrote the Seattle P-I.

"Word of Guy Barattieri's death in Iraq has dropped all of 'Bear's' Cincinnati family to one knee," wrote Mark Steiner of Cincinnati, a high school friend of Barattieri's.

Steiner said Barattieri's father, Guy Sr., was a veteran and the original "Bear" who was the defensive line coach for the state championship high school football team on which Steiner and Barattieri played in 1986.

"It will be a difficult Friday night later this month when Purcell honors the 20th anniversary of our undefeated 1986 state football championship that we were teammates on. Bear played defensive end. What other position would you expect a guy named 'Bear' to play?" Steiner said.

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FROM Chris Jenks - USMA 92 and fellow rugger.

Fellas

I have been out of touch with a lot of you for too long, and regret that this is the mechanism by which we get back in touch. I just learned that a great friend and even better officer, Guy Barattieri, USMA 92, and Army Ruger, was killed WED by an IED while in Iraq. Friends are in touch with Bear's family, unclear when/where his funeral will be.

Bear was recruited to play football at USMA following All State selection at linebacker while in high school in Ohio. Bear played for the varsity as a plebe, but injured his back/neck in his first season. Army doctors told Bear that he could no longer play football. Bear took that in stride, and demonstrating the lack of intellect and common sense notable amongst Army Rugers, decided that technically the doctors never said he couldn't play Rugby, he started playing rugby our yearling year, playing a devastating wing forward.

Bear played Rugby our yearling and cow year, and then ran into some academic issues our firstie year. As members of the class of 1992 will recall, Bear was the goat of our class. I, along with Ruger Mike "caveman"
Roberts, naively thought some of Bear's goat $ would make it to down to Fort Benning and IOBC but Bear was too smart for us, which is not saying much, and had spent the money prior to heading to Columbus.

Following IOBC, Ranger School, and the mortar course, Bear joined me and Caveman in 4-12 IN in Baumholder Germany. I was always impressed by Bear's innate Infantry leadership skills, some things you can train/teach, some things you are born with.

Following our return to the states and IOAC, Bear branched out to Special Forces and the 1st SFG(A) out at Fort Lewis, WA. Bear fell in love with the northwest, left the active army and joined the Seattle Police and later the 1st Battaltion/19th SFG.

Bear is survived by his wife Laurel and a 3-month-old daughter, Odessa.

With you,

Chris Jenks
USMA 92
Army Ruger

List of Articles about Guy:
http://news.google.com/news?q=barattieri+iraq+&hl=en&lr=&sa=X&oi=news&ct=title
http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061005/NEWS01/610050356
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/special_packages/iraq/15685383.htm
http://www.kirotv.com/news/10001532/detail.html

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003289729_iraqdeath05m.html

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FROM Sean Simpson:

"Bear was a man who was tough. It was a palpable toughness that he didn't need to flaunt. He had a warmth and humanity that wouldn't allow him to be a bully. During rugby practice he could hit someone so hard that they would almost bounce back to their feet after being slammed to the ground...then Guy would chuckle a little and offer a heartfelt "Sorry, Dude."
"Overall, I would sum up Bear with the concise statement of high praise that I remember him bestowing sparingly on others: "He's a good man!"

Thanks.
-Sean

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Guy is pictured below - first row - third from the right. Sean Simpson is in the second row third from the right and Jenksi is in the first row far left hand side witht he red hair.

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Info for the "Bear Fund"
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/287788_barattieri06.html

"The Bear Fund," referring to Barattieri's long-standing nickname since his high school football days near Cincinnati, was created through the National Guard Association of Washington.

The account through the American Lake Credit Union, Camp Murray, will be used to help Barattieri's wife of one year, Laurel, and 3-month-old daughter, Odessa, and stepdaughter, Rees.

Donations can be made in his name to the credit union through account number 13878, Guard officials said.

Donations can be made by visiting any branch, or arranged by telephoning the main branch, 800-228-2377, or the Department of Veterans Affairs branch at 800-244-0874.

Inquiries about electronic funds transfers should be directed to Cindy Arnold by e-mail, cindy@americanlake.org.

Funeral arrangements are pending.