MONCKS CORNER, S.C. – A U.S. Army veteran living in Moncks Corner is actively training to paddle 225 miles in a kayak to honor first responders killed in the line of duty as part of Operation Deep Blue.
At 62 years old, Stephen E. Barger will be the oldest ODP team member. From Sept. 16-23, he and fellow kayakers – all volunteer – will paddle from Fort Mott State Park in Pennsville, NJ to Washington, DC to increase awareness of law enforcement officers, military service members and other first responders who’ve died in the line of duty. They will also help raise funds to provide relief to their surviving family members.
“This year, I will paddle to honor my father, Lt. Colonel Ferdinand Ora Barger Jr., who was killed in action on Sept. 4, 1968 in Quang Ngai, Vietnam. He is listed on panel 45W35 on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. It is 55 years to the month he was killed,” Barger said.
According to Barger, his father was ambushed as he was making a village visit to the Vietcong stronghold.
“He was a Korean War veteran with Silver Star, Purple Heart and Combat Infantryman’s Badge for wartime fighting in the second battle of Pork Chop Hill,” Barger said. “He never wore rank in the field. And he was the only one killed, so it is believed the ambush was specifically targeted for him.”
Although Barger was just 7-years-old when his father was killed in Vietnam, his memories of him remain vivid more than a century later.
“We always went to church every Sunday and I sat next to him. When he came back from the field, he shared leftover rations, and we played soldier and thought they were a delight,” Barger recalled. “We went to the beach every summer with my mom’s family, usually Litchfield, and we would crab. Dad did the scoop net for me and never missed. We’d seine for shrimp and he’d help me when it was my turn because I was so young but I always got my turn.”
After graduating from the Citadel in Charleston, Barger would go on to follow in his father’s footsteps by joining the military.
“I served the U.S. Army in uniform and civilian for 37 years. I like to think I’ve given my whole life in service,” Barger said. “My wife is a retired U.S. Air Force officer and U.S. Army civilian, too. We are both service-disabled veterans. Fortunately, there is a chiropractor on the paddling team!”
To prepare for his upcoming kayaking expedition, Barger trains in a 12.5-foot Wilderness Systems Pungo four times a week, paddling at least 6 miles each at 4 mph. With a little over a month to go, he is looking to amp up his endurance to keep up with his fellow team members.
“We are expected to be able to sustain a 4 mph pace for 20 miles a day up to 8 hrs a day with a 30-minute lunch break. That’s put some motivation in me to get busy,” Barger explained. “I’ve largely been training on Lake Moultrie. But I did my 10 and 15 miler with friends from here on the Santee Cooper. I did my 12 miler solo from Gilligan’s Seafood Restaurant in Moncks Corner to Cypress Gardens after a practice run with a friend from Charleston Paddlers.”
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This will be Barger’s first year serving on Operation Deep Blue’s team, and he is proud to do it. As part of his fundraising goal for the nonprofit, he is hoping to raise $3,500 to benefit families of fallen first responders.
“If the people of the greater Berkeley County community could give any amount to the fundraiser, it would be most helpful,” he said. “My Overton community and FOP Lodge 19 have been most generous. So far, I’m only up to about $800. During the expedition, please also pray for strength and endurance for me as well as safety and fair seas for the entire team.”
To donate to Barger’s fundraising efforts, visit this link.
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