05/16/2026
Today at the JFK Special Warfare Museum we celebrate International Sun Bear Day!
This day was established 11 years ago by the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre to honor the release of their first rehabilitated sun bear. The smallest member of the bear species, sun bears are found in the forests of Southeast Asia and are known for their long tongues (measuring up to 10 inches!), large forepaws with curved claws, and their yellow chest crest that gives them their name.
Standing “tall” and guarding the museum is Barney, our very own sun bear. It was estimated that when the men of Company A, 5th Special Forces Group first discovered Barney on a mission to Bu Dop, he was only four to five weeks old. He was brought back to the Bien Hoa base camp where Team members took turns bottle-feeding him. By 9 months old, he weighed an estimated 90 pounds. Barney served as an early warning system for the team and would often sneak up behind individuals and grab them. Depending on their reaction, one would be able to tell if the person was a friend or foe. The tie between Barney and the men of Company A ensured that transportation arrangements would be made to guarantee he could also leave Vietnam. Sgt. Major Ben Taylor was quoted in The Green Beret magazine explaining, “One way or another, Barney is going back to the States…It will cost $2.50 per pound, including Barney, his cage, and his food, to ship him back. If he has no home by the time we leave, we’ll take him back with us.”
Barney did make it to the United States and was able to call Fort Bragg home. He lived in the Gabriel Demonstration Area for two years before he passed away. He was taxidermied and remained with members of Company A, until the last member retired. Barney was then bequeathed to the museum in 1984 and has served as our guardian ever since.
Barney's story is a remarkable example of the bonds formed in the field and the lengths to which service members go to care for their own—even if "their own" happens to be a 90-pound sun bear.
Photo One: Standing at full height, Barney’s yellow chest crest if visible. There are five distinct chest crests on sun bears: U, V, O, half circle, and a noncontiguous shape.
Photo Two: In 2025, Barney received conservation treatment, to include repairing small tears around his eyes.
Photo Three: The sharp curved claws of a sun bear help during feeding time. The bears can tear into tree trunks with ease to reach insect nests and colonies.
Photo Four: A close-up shot of Barney, seen wearing a collar, with Sergeant Major Taylor. Take a moment to study the photo; you can see Barney’s claws resting on Taylor’s knee.
Photo Five: Hunched on his back legs, Barney is seen outside in the Gabriel Demonstration Area with Sergeant Jerald Hilleson, one of the members who championed for Barney to return to the United States with the team.
