Lieutenant Colonel Lester E. Barlow began his commissioned career as Company Executive Officer with A-T Company, 342d Infantry at Camp Howze, Texas, in 1942 and was promoted to First Lieutenant in 1943. | His subsequent duty assignments include: Assistant Intel Staff Officer, Headquarters, 3d Army, European Theater of Operations and also with the 317th Infantry, 80th Division as Regimental S3 in 1944 and promoted to Captain; 1946-1947 Chief of Intel Division, India-Burma Zone, Calcutta, India, and also as Chief Operations and Instructor with the 2505th ASU WVA NG, Charleston, West Virginia; Promoted to Major in 1950 and assigned to 2d Company, STR, Student Officer Advance Infantry Course #2, Fort Benning; 1951-1953 Instructor, Opns Gp QMS with 9135 TSU QMC, Fort Lee, Virginia; 1954 assigned Headquarters 1st Infantry Division as Assistant G4, USAREUR and promoted to Lieutenant Colonel; 1955-1956 Battalion Commander of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry, Fort Riley, Kansas; Assigned to the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth in 1957; later assigned as Director of Training RTC Denezli, Turkey, and Chief Plans Section, Army Element, Turkey, in 1958; 1959-1961 Command and Staff Department, Fort Benning, Georgia; 1962 Deputy Chairman Defense Committee, Company I, USAIS, Fort Benning, Georgia. | Lieutenant Colonel Barlow's awards and decorations include: the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star Medal and Cluster, the Commendation Ribbon and the Combat Infantryman Badge.