Winter 2021 Militaria & Collectibles Auction
Lot 80A:
Class A uniform of Staff Sergeant John Ybarbo, decorated WWII veteran, recipient of three Silver Stars, two Purple Hearts, and victim of murder at the hands of his wife. John Ybarbo was born on July 21, 1915, and served with the 36th + 3rd Infantry Divisions during WWII, fighting in seven campaigns across the European continent. For his extraordinary heroism and sacrifice, Ybarbo was awarded three Silver Stars and two Purple Hearts. He was twice wounded, first at Anzio in 1943 and in France in 1944.His first Silver Star and second Purple Heart were awarded for actions on August 17, 1944, while serving with the 36th Infantry Division. (Full citation: https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/68845) According to a wartime newspaper article, his second and third Silver Stars were given for "burning down an enemy observation post, " and "capturing a French town, " respectively. See below for newspaper clippings that detail Ybarbo’s heroism and valor in combat.Following the end of hostilities in the ETO, he served as an MP with the 14th Constabulary Regiment during the occupation of Germany. On September 20, 1948, Ybarbo was shot and killed by his wife after a domestic dispute. With "malice aforethought, willfully, deliberately, feloniously, and with premeditation, " Wilma shot her husband in bed four times with a small Hungarian pistol. Staff Sergeant Ybarbo succumbed to the gunshot wounds 11 days later, on October 1, 1948.Mrs. Ybarbo was the first American to be tried for first-degree murder in Germany since the start of the occupation and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. She was later ordered freed by General Lucius D. Clay, who declared that "the remorse of her conscience will prove punishment enough".Ybarbo was buried at Long Island National Cemetery in New York in 1949. According to a New York Daily News article, there were no mourners at his funeral service. There is an abundance of research, photos, and background information on Ybarbo and his death available on Newspapers.com.Ybarbo’s original Class A uniform features an impressive array of insignia, including a nine place sewn ribbon bar, German made bullion CIB, Belgian Fourragère, and the French Croix de Guerre Fourragère. The uniform was identified via laundry number Y-6352 which is stamped inside twice.
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