BARATTIERI, JR, GUY R

Guy R. Barattieri Jr was born on June 21, 1970, in Pleasant Ridge, OH to Pat Wheatley and Guy Barattieri Sr. and was the big brother to Gina, Becky, and Nicole. He was a 1986 graduate of Purcell High School where he led his high school football team to an undefeated season and 1986 state championship. He earned the nickname ‘Bear’ while playing football not only because of his size and strength but also for his big heart. 

Eschewing a football scholarship to Penn State University, Major Barattieri always wanted to be a part of something greater than himself, and on June 29, 1988 MAJ Barattieri entered West Point joining the Class of 1992. During his summer break he would attend and graduate from Airborne school and go to serve on active duty as an Infantry Officer, then later a Special Forces Officer.  

En route to his first duty assignment, Guy completed the Infantry Officer Basic Course and the Bradley Leader Course at Fort Benning, GA. Upon arriving in Baumholder, Germany, he was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 1st Armored Division, where Guy served as a rifle and support platoon leader and company executive officer. In December 1995 his unit made the initial entry into Bosnia and Herzegovina as part of the Implementation Force (IFOR), a NATO-led multinational peace enforcement force to secure the Dayton Peace Accords. A proven natural leader, Guy was hand-selected to assume command of Headquarters Company and frocked to captain. The charismatic Guy innately excelled in command, coordinating route recon and convoy escorts while brandishing his trademark weapon of choice, an M79 grenade launcher. In 1996, Guy returned to Fort Benning, where he attended the Infantry Officer Advanced Course and was officially promoted to captain. 

Pursuing his dream of becoming a Green Beret, MAJ Barattieri successfully completed the Special Forces Assessment and Selection Course at Fort Bragg, NC. For the next year MAJ Barattieri would endure the rigorous training to become an officer in the Special Forces Regiment, graduating from the Special Forces Detachment Officer Qualification Course in the fall of 1997, followed by the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) High Risk Course. His first assignment as a Green Beret was as a commander of a Special Forces Operational Detachment–Alpha (SFODA) in 2nd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Lewis, WA, where MAJ Barattieri led his team on multiple deployments to Thailand, Korea, and Nepal. Guy’s long beard would presage its use by Special Forces units in Afghanistan and Iraq. 

MAJ Barattieri decided to make the Pacific Northwest his home and began a new career of service in law enforcement, joining the Seattle Police Department in August 2000, but not before transferring his commission from the Regular Army to the National Guard 1st Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne). Eight years after graduating last in his class from West Point, he was elected president of his police academy class. Guy would work for the Seattle Police Department until 2004. 

In 2002, then-CPT Barattieri deployed as an SF Detachment Commander to Kuwait in support of Operation Desert Spring. Selected as part of the initial spearhead during the liberation of Iraq on 20 March 2003, MAJ Barattieri's team led the 101st Infantry Division on its march to Baghdad. For his combat achievements, MAJ Barattieri was awarded the Bronze Star Medal and the Combat Infantryman's Badge. MAJ Barattieri transferred to the Information Operations Group in 2004, and was appointed as the Operations Officer for the Special Operations Detachment - Pacific (SODPAC) in 2005. MAJ Barattieri was a member in good standing of the Washington National Guard at the time of his passing. In addition to his military service, MAJ Barattieri was an honored member of the Seattle and Milton Police Departments. 

Highly recruited for his rare combination of specialized military and law enforcement training, Guy accepted a job in 2004 as a contractor providing private security for organizations in Iraq, gaining notoriety as the chief of security for the Fox News Baghdad bureau, earning the reputation as their “protector” during a series of bombings. 

The year 2004 would also bring new happiness to his life in the form of his soulmate, Laurel, and her daughter, Rees. Guy’s joy at his beautiful Seattle wedding in 2005 was exceeded only 10 months later by the birth of his daughter, Odessa. Shortly after Odessa was born, Guy deployed to Iraq for the last time. 

MAJ Barattieri died on October 4th, 2006, after suffering mortal wounds from an improvised explosive device in Baghdad, Iraq.  

Not all those who wander are lost.— J.R.R. Tolkien 

The Washington State Fallen Heroes Project proudly remembers MAJ Guy R. Barattieri Jr. for his service, sacrifice, and commitment to our nation. Our hope is that his life continues to inspire all who learn his story.