COL LaBARBERA, ALBERT to TAPs

COL ALBERT LaBARBERA passed away 19 JAN 2013,losing his battle with cancer.  He had come up to Indianapolis to visit family over the holidays.  He was 82.  Funeral details are still pending and will be published on the Flanner and Buchanan Website. 

Born in Cuba, New York 0N 20 MAR 1930, Al graduated from St. Bonaventure University in 1952 with a bachelor of business administration degree and a commission as a Regular Army officer earned through the Army ROTC program. He graduated from the Field Artillery Basic Officer Course and the Surface to Surface Missile Battery Officer Course at Fort Sill, Oklahoma and served in a number of artillery officer assignments, including Executive Officer and Battery Commander of the 868th Field Artillery Battalion (280mm), in Germany and S3 of the 523rd Field Artillery Missile Battalion (CPL) at Fort Bliss, Texas.

He completed the Finance Officer Basic Course in 1958 and continued his career in that branch, serving initially as the Deputy Finance Officer of Fort Lee, Virginia until 1960. He completed an MBA in Management from Indiana University in 1961 and was assigned as Advisor to the Comptroller, Turkish Ministry of National Defense and Joint Military Assistance Plans and Programs Officer in Ankara, Turkey until 1964. In this capacity, he assisted the Turkish Ministry of Defense in the establishment of a Comptroller School by providing curriculum, lesson plans and training aids in the Turkish language and was instrumental in the Ministry of Defense’s adoption of a training model that assured long-term success of the school. By improving the internal coordination and control of Military Assistance Planning and Programming within the Joint U. S. Mission for Aid to Turkey (JUSMAT), he developed best practices for foreign army training used in future missions.

Following this assignment, he was selected as Deputy Director, Department of Finance and Management Instructor at the U. S. Army Finance School, Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana. After completing the Finance Officer Advanced Course in 1967, LaBarbera returned to overseas duty when he joined the 4th Infantry Division in Vietnam as its Finance Officer from 1967-68. His association with the 4th Infantry Division remained strong, and he became chairman of the 4th Infantry Division Association, Vietnam Chapter, establishing a scholarship fund for children of the Division’s members killed in action and publishing procedures for the handling of funds donated to this cause. Since its inception, the fund has provided financial assistance to more than 300 children. After serving in Vietnam, he returned to the United States and served as the Assistant Chief, Accounting Division of the Defense Supply Agency before another tour in Germany in 1971, where he was Assistant Chief of Staff, Comptroller for VII Corps. He completed his active career as a colonel and Director of Centralized Pay Operations, U. S. Army Finance Center, Fort Benjamin Harrison, a post he held from 1974 until his retirement in 1976.

Actively engaged in a variety of community service projects since his retirement, LaBarbera was President of the Lawrence Indiana Exchange Club and in 2005 earned the Outstanding Exchange Spirit Award for his contribution to a September 11, 2001 terrorist attack memorial. He was named Lawrence 2005 Exchangite of the Year. His military awards include the Legion of Merit with One Oak Leaf Cluster, Meritorious Service Medal with One Oak Leaf Cluster, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army of Occupation Medal, National Defense Service Medal with One Service Star, Vietnam Service Medal with 4 Service Stars, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Meritorious Unit Citation, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation and the Republic of Vietnam Civic Action Honor Medal Unit Citation. In August 2002, he was named a Distinguished Member of the Finance Regiment.