Duke Barrett, a combat veteran of the Vietnam War, served with the 1st Airborne Brigade, of the Army's 1st Air Cavalry Division at An Khe, South Vietnam, in 1965-66. The airborne infantryman, an 11B2P-military jargon for infantry parachutist-refers to himself as a "glorified grunt." In time served in Vietnam, the Chicago-born paratrooper was assigned to Alpha Company, 1/8th Cav as a rifleman, and Delta Company Reconnaissance, 1/8th Cav as senior scout, where he was awarded the Combat Infantryman's Badge and the Purple Heart. Upon completion of his tour of duty in Vietnam, Duke was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division, "Americas Guard of Honor," at Fort Bragg, N.C. and was honorably discharged in 1967. With his military obligation fulfilled, Duke resumed his music career-a career that had been interrupted by the draft in 1965. Spending a number of years on the road playing music with various bands and acts, Duke had the good fortune to play just about every seedy to glamorous nightclub from coast to coast. He also was fortunate enough to play every major theatre in North America, to include New York's Broadway, where he played drums in the pit orchestra for the musical Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, starring Debbie Boone. A graduate of The University of Wisconsin, Duke has never applied his major, Political Science, to his music nor to his 28-year career as a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier, but does have "plenty of opinions." Time wasted? He says not. "Uncle Sam paid for it." The one time rock 'n' roll drummer and former Golden Gloves champ, Duke has always had an eye for pretty women, and in 1970, married the beautiful Mitsuko Hori. Through thick and thin, Duke and Mitsuko have managed to remain married after all these years and have three beautiful children, two sons and a delightful daughter. They've also been blessed with two grandsons. Still able to get up and about and make his appointed rounds, Duke is employed by the U.S. Postal Service in Las Vegas, Nevada, and plays music on a part-time basis.