Peru city clerk says military gave him direction

The images of East Germans pouring into West Germany through the Berlin Wall on Nov. 9, 1989, have lived throughout history as a beginning of the end of the Cold War. The events of that day became building blocks that led to the unification of Germany on Oct. 3, 1990.

Dave Bartley of Peru was stationed outside Frankfurt, Germany, as a 75 Bravo personnel administrative clerk for the U.S. Army, when the wall came down.

“It was remarkable,” he said.

Bartley said the whole mission of the Third Armored Division and Combat Aviation Brigade, was to provide a defense from a Cold War threat – East Germany coming into West Germany.

“At one point we’re defending the border, defending the threat,” he said. “And the next we’re welcoming and meeting people from East Germany who are free to move into West Germany.”

Bartley said he enlisted in the Army in January 1987 as an opportunity to get out of the area and try something new. He said he had graduated the previous May and wasn’t enjoying college.

“I was sort of like join the military, move away, learn a new job, see the world,” he said. “It was mostly a byproduct of being a young person who needed some direction.”

As someone who was already a particularly neat person, he said some of the stricter elements of service came naturally to him.

“What I didn’t know when I enlisted is that a personnel administrative clerk can be attached to any type of company,” Bartley said. “I could have just as easily been assigned to an infantry company and been trained as an infantryman.”

Jay Koyak, who grew up with Bartley in La Salle, said he has always had a high attention to detail – never sloppy.

“I would attribute some of that to his military service,” he said.

Working at a higher headquarters gave Bartley access to officers of higher ranks. He said one of his most memorable moments from training in Germany was driving a “full bird” colonel, who was commander of the brigade, to a field training exercise.

“I would have been very, very low on the totem pole,” Bartley said. “His driver was unavailable … And he’s just one step below a general and we are just sitting there – a couple of guys watching helicopters fire missiles at targets and eating candy.”

Bartley said he had a lot of great experiences while on duty in Germany, recalling a time when the U.S. invited East Germany to participate and observe in joint maneuvers.

“We invited some commanders from the Eastern Bloc countries,” he said. “We showed off the capabilities of our aviation aircraft to members of our enemy. It would have been an exercise that took place in the late summer of 1989 and the Berlin Wall came down in November, so while the mission still existed, the tensions between countries were not high.”

Bartley said leaving the Army was a piece of cake. He took 30 days of terminal leave and got out right before Christmas 1989.

“The only reason I got out of the military was to go to college,” he said. “Because I had the GI Bill.”

Koyak said when Barley got out of the military they had many spirited discussions, bouncing ideas off each other, trying to figure out what they wanted to be.

“He came back from the service wanting to set the world on fire,” Koyak said. “He was trying to figure out what he wanted to do in life ... figure out what his place in life is going to be.”

Bartley enrolled at Illinois Valley Community College in January 1990 and said he didn’t like it any better than when he got out of high school.

While serving tables at Uptown Grill in La Salle, Bartley met someone who thought he would be good in sales. For several years, he worked in sales, moved to Chicago, and then, as it always does, he was called home.

Bartley said he had the opportunity through a family friend to open a restaurant and took it. He ran Bartley’s Supper Club with his ex-wife for 21 years.

While operating the restaurant, Bartley wanted to get involved in the city, so in 2005 he ran for and was elected city treasurer.

He ran in 2009 for city clerk and has remained in office since. He said his military experience has had a profound impact on how he approaches every aspect of his life.

“The opportunity to go overseas … that’s a tremendous experience for a young person,” he said. “The military teaches you really all of the critical life skills, working, working as a team, discipline and diversity.”

Koyak said Bartley has always enjoyed engaging with the community and getting to know different people, so running for office was not a surprising role for him.

Peru Mayor Ken Kolowski said Bartley has been an excellent teacher for him for the past three and half years and his military experience has enhanced his abilities as city clerk.

“He has excellent leadership qualities,” Kolowski said. “He is willing to listen and respect everyone’s ideas and opinions. We may not always agree but he’s respectful and I think that’s where his military experience comes into play.”

Bartley said the military taught him everything parents hope their children learn in college such as problem-solving and sacrifice.

“Sometimes I feel like some of the highest respect that should be paid to veterans, should be focused on those who served in combat or were in harm’s way,” he said. “We all get to stand up and we all get respect as veterans. But, a lot of people who served, served at much greater risk.”