John Andrew Barnes III (April 16, 1945 – November 12, 1967) was a soldier of the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
during the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
. He was posthumously awarded the
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...
for his actions during the
Battle of Dak To
The battle of Dak To ( vi, Chiến dịch Đắk Tô - Tân Cảnh) in Vietnam was a series of major engagements of the Vietnam War that took place between 3 and 23 November 1967, in Kon Tum Province, in the Central Highlands of the Republic o ...
.
Adopted as a child, Barnes joined the army after graduating from
Dedham High School
Dedham High School is a public high school in Dedham, Massachusetts, United States, and a part of the Dedham Public Schools district. The school was founded in 1851 by the oldest public school system in the country. It earned a silver medal from '' ...
in 1964. After serving in the
Dominican Civil War
The Dominican Civil War (), also known as the April Revolution (), took place between April 24, 1965, and September 3, 1965, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. It started when civilian and military supporters of the overthrown democraticall ...
and completing a
tour of duty
For military personnel, a tour of duty is usually a period of time spent in combat or in a hostile environment. In an army, for instance, soldiers on active duty serve 24 hours a day, seven days a week for the length of their service commitment. ...
in Vietnam, he volunteered to go back to the war. During his second tour, his unit came under attack during the Battle of Dak To. He was killed when he jumped on a grenade to save the lives of wounded comrades. For "conspicuous gallantry" that was "above and beyond the call of duty", Barnes received the Medal of Honor.
Early life and education
Barnes was born in
Boston, Massachusetts on April 16, 1945.
[ When he was two years old, he was adopted by John A. Barnes, Jr. and his wife, Katherine (née Hermes).][ Their 18-year-old daughter, Carson, was a freshman in college at the time.][ From a young age, Barnes expressed an interest in joining the Army.][
As a child Barnes lived in ]Belmont
Belmont may refer to:
People
* Belmont (surname)
Places
* Belmont Abbey (disambiguation)
* Belmont Historic District (disambiguation)
* Belmont Hotel (disambiguation)
* Belmont Park (disambiguation)
* Belmont Plantation (disambiguation)
* Belmon ...
before moving to Dedham during his sophomore year of high school.[ He wanted to leave ]Dedham High School
Dedham High School is a public high school in Dedham, Massachusetts, United States, and a part of the Dedham Public Schools district. The school was founded in 1851 by the oldest public school system in the country. It earned a silver medal from '' ...
early to become a Marine aviator, but his parents talked him into finishing.[ He graduated in 1964.][ He was described by his sister as "an average student, quiet, and shy," as well as "very dedicated, very patriotic."][ While in high school, he served in the ]Civil Air Patrol
Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is a congressionally chartered, federally supported non-profit corporation that serves as the official civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force (USAF). CAP is a volunteer organization with an aviation-minded mem ...
and drilled at the South Weymouth Naval Air Station
Naval Air Station South Weymouth was an operational United States Navy airfield from 1942 to 1997 in South Weymouth, Massachusetts. It was first established as a regular Navy blimp base during World War II. During the postwar era the base became p ...
.[
]
Career
Shortly after graduating from Dedham High School Barnes enlisted in the United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
and went through basic training at Fort Pickett
Fort Pickett is a Virginia Army National Guard installation, located near the town of Blackstone, Virginia. Home of the Army National Guard Maneuver Training Center, Fort Pickett is named for the United States Army officer and Confederate Gen ...
.[ His sister was surprised he enlisted so soon after graduation, but said he "felt determined that it was the right thing to do."][ Barnes also trained at the engineering school at ]Fort Benning
Fort Benning is a United States Army post near Columbus, Georgia, adjacent to the Alabama–Georgia border. Fort Benning supports more than 120,000 active-duty military, family members, reserve component soldiers, retirees and civilian employees ...
.[ He served for a year in ]Santo Domingo
, total_type = Total
, population_density_km2 = auto
, timezone = AST (UTC −4)
, area_code_type = Area codes
, area_code = 809, 829, 849
, postal_code_type = Postal codes
, postal_code = 10100–10699 (Distrito Nacional)
, websi ...
during the Dominican Civil War
The Dominican Civil War (), also known as the April Revolution (), took place between April 24, 1965, and September 3, 1965, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. It started when civilian and military supporters of the overthrown democraticall ...
.[
]
Vietnam War
Barnes was dispatched to Vietnam as part of the 173rd Airborne Brigade
The 173rd Airborne Brigade ("Sky Soldiers") is an airborne infantry brigade combat team (IBCT) of the United States Army based in Vicenza, Italy. It is the United States European Command's conventional airborne strategic response force for Eu ...
on May 31, 1966, during the Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
. Serving in Company C of the 1st Battalion, 503d Infantry, Barnes was assigned as a grenadier
A grenadier ( , ; derived from the word '' grenade'') was originally a specialist soldier who threw hand grenades in battle. The distinct combat function of the grenadier was established in the mid-17th century, when grenadiers were recruited fr ...
.[ Soldiers of the brigade became involved in ]Operation Attleboro
Operation Attleboro was a Vietnam War search and destroy operation initiated by the 196th Light Infantry Brigade with the objective to discover the location(s) of People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) and Viet Cong (VC) base areas and force them to ...
in fall of 1966, an operation that started out as a small search and destroy mission north of Saigon
, population_density_km2 = 4,292
, population_density_metro_km2 = 697.2
, population_demonym = Saigonese
, blank_name = GRP (Nominal)
, blank_info = 2019
, blank1_name = – Total
, blank1_ ...
but eventually involved 22,000 troops from 21 battalions.[ After serving a single tour Barnes was sent home, but volunteered to return to Vietnam and was sent back in the fall of 1967.][ According to Barnes' sister, his mother was very upset that he had volunteered to go back.][
On November 12, 1967, while patrolling in Dak To District of Kon Tum Province during the ]Battle of Dak To
The battle of Dak To ( vi, Chiến dịch Đắk Tô - Tân Cảnh) in Vietnam was a series of major engagements of the Vietnam War that took place between 3 and 23 November 1967, in Kon Tum Province, in the Central Highlands of the Republic o ...
, Barnes' unit was attacked by a North Vietnamese
North Vietnam, officially the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV; vi, Việt Nam Dân chủ Cộng hòa), was a socialist state supported by the Soviet Union (USSR) and the People's Republic of China (PRC) in Southeast Asia that existed f ...
battalion. During the battle, Barnes manned a machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic, rifled autoloading firearm designed for sustained direct fire with rifle cartridges. Other automatic firearms such as automatic shotguns and automatic rifles (including assault rifles and battle rifles) a ...
that had lost its crew to enemy fire and was credited with nine enemy kills.[ While retrieving more ammunition, Barnes dived on top of a grenade that had landed among American wounded in order to use his body to protect them from the blast.][ The grenade exploded, killing Barnes.][
]
Medal of Honor
Two years later, Barnes was posthumously
Posthumous may refer to:
* Posthumous award - an award, prize or medal granted after the recipient's death
* Posthumous publication – material published after the author's death
* ''Posthumous'' (album), by Warne Marsh, 1987
* ''Posthumous'' (E ...
awarded the Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...
for his actions.[ His parents accepted the award on his behalf from ]Spiro Agnew
Spiro Theodore Agnew (November 9, 1918 – September 17, 1996) was the 39th vice president of the United States, serving from 1969 until his resignation in 1973. He is the second vice president to resign the position, the other being John ...
in the Vice President's executive office in Washington, D.C.[ Carson and her husband, James Fleming, and the oldest four of their seven children also attended.][ The ceremony also honored Fr. Charles J. Watters and Robert F. Stryker.][
Barnes was also awarded the ]Bronze Star Medal
The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone.
Wh ...
, Purple Heart
The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, w ...
, and several other medals.[
]
Citation
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Company C, first Battalion, 503d Infantry 173d Airborne Brigade. Place and date: Dak To, Republic of Vietnam, November 12, 1967. Entered service at: Boston, Mass. Born: April 16, 1945, Boston, Mass.
Legacy
Barnes was buried in Brookdale Cemetery
Brookdale Cemetery is an historic cemetery in Dedham, Massachusetts. More than 28,000 people are buried there. Mother Brook runs behind it.
History
For nearly 250 years after it was established, Old Village Cemetery was the only cemetery in Dedha ...
in Dedham, Massachusetts
Dedham ( ) is a town in and the county seat of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 25,364 at the 2020 census. It is located on Boston's southwest border. On the northwest it is bordered by Needham, on the southwest b ...
.[ His name is inscribed on Panel 29E – Row 084 of the ]Vietnam War Memorial
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is a U.S. national memorial in Washington, D.C., honoring service members of the U.S. armed forces who served in the Vietnam War. The site is dominated by two black granite walls engraved with the names of those s ...
. Carson Barnes Fleming believed that the distress of the loss of Barnes contributed to the deaths of their parents in the years that followed.[
Within hours of learning that Barnes was to be awarded the Medal of Honor, a ]Blue Ribbon Commission
In the United States, a blue-ribbon committee (or panel or commission) is a group of exceptional people appointed to investigate, study or analyze a given question. Blue-ribbon committees generally have a degree of independence from political infl ...
was established by the Town of Dedham to make plans for a "John A. Barnes Memorial Day."[ The Dedham High School class of 1968 established a scholarship in his name.][ On April 19, 1970, The Town of Dedham rededicated Memorial Field as John A. Barnes III Memorial Park.][ At the ceremony, dignitaries, V.F.W. members from dozens of towns, and local marching bands proceeded to the intersection of East Street and Eastern Ave., where a marble monument was unveiled in Barnes' honor. Among the speakers that day was Congressman James A. Burke.][
A building used by the United States Navy, located at 495 Summer Street in Boston, was renovated and renamed for Barnes.][ The street sign on Colwell Drive also now indicates that Barnes lived there.][
]
See also
*List of Medal of Honor recipients
The Medal of Honor was created during the American Civil War and is the highest military decoration presented by the United States government to a member of its armed forces. The recipient must have distinguished themselves at the risk of their ...
*List of Medal of Honor recipients for the Vietnam War
The Medal of Honor was created during the American Civil War and is the highest military decoration presented by the United States government to a member of its armed forces. The recipients must have distinguished themselves at the risk of their o ...
Notes
References
Further reading
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barnes, John Andrew Iii
1945 births
1967 deaths
United States Army Medal of Honor recipients
American military personnel killed in the Vietnam War
United States Army soldiers
Vietnam War recipients of the Medal of Honor
Military personnel from Dedham, Massachusetts
Military personnel from Massachusetts
American adoptees
Burials at Brookdale Cemetery
Deaths by hand grenade
United States Army personnel of the Vietnam War