Joseph Barnes
 Joseph Kenneth Kenny Barnes,, 85, was born in Boone and flew 51 missions over a period of three months. His children have kidded him, calling him the general, and he lives today in a house that he built 51 years ago.
Barnes was born in Boone in 1925, the second son of Elmer and Nellie Barnes. In a history of Barnes life written by his wife, Helen, he recalls My childhood in the depression years was like many others - we were poor, but always had food and shelter and a loving family with two sisters, Wilma and Joanne, and two brothers, Charles and Jimmy, a father who was an engineer on the railroad and a mother who took care of the family, making sure we kept clean, nourished, did our chores and all went to church on Sunday.
Barnes had a paper route delivering the Des Moines Register, using the money to buy some of his own clothing. Barnes father served in World War I, and during Barnes childhood the second World War was fast approaching. When he went to collect his papers for delivery on Pearl Harbor Day, December 7, 1941, his circulation manager, Sam Lyon, predicted the young men would be involved in the upcoming war before it concluded as the news played out over the radio in the shop.
Barnes completed his high school requirements in January of 1943 and was drafted before the graduation ceremony took place in the fall. Barnes took basic training in Salt Lake City and was placed in the Army Air Corps. With no slots open for flight school, Barnes was trained as a gunner and attended armament school.
Barnes was trained to fly in a B-24 Liberator bomber, and when his crew of ten was formed and received its B-24, they christened it Paperdoll. While flying between Florida, Trinidad, Brazil, Africa and Italy, the crew crossed the equator and became members of the Hyper Terrestrial Order of Equator Hoppers, for which Barnes has retained his certificate.
The crew was based in Foggia, Italy, and had to delay their landing until bombers returning from a mission had landed.
It was a rude awakening as we taxied down the airstrip to see a plane with the nose turret shot off, and the wounded and dead airmen arranged on the ground covered in sheets. Hard sight for a 19-year-old airman to absorb, Barnes said in Helens written history. Barnes first mission was May 18, 1944, where his squadron was assigned to bomb a Romanian oil refinery. Barnes weighed only 125 pounds, and as the smallest member of the crew he was assigned to the ball turret on this and subsequent missions. Barnes would fly on four missions over the Ploesti oil refineries, as it produced a major amount of the fuel for the German military. Barnes said they were the toughest missions, as the refineries were heavily defended with flak so thick you could walk on it and enemy fighters menacing the bombers.
I was pretty young. Im 18 and Im flying combat at 19, Barnes said
Barnes flew regularly as he was able to fit into the cramped space of the ball turret, and due to this he racked up over 50 missions. According to Helens written history: On July 28, 1944, a Ploesti raid, we sent out 27 airplanes from our 756th Bomb Squadron and lost 14. My plane was badly shot upelevators and ailerons goneand no control over the plane, just flying on automatic pilot. We all bailed out and fortunately it was over friendly territory. The plane was lost, but the crew all survived. The emergency parachute jump earned me entrance into The Caterpillar Club, awarded by Irving Air Chute Co.
Barnes said he thanked the Lord for bringing him through his missions unscathed and he prayed for the safety of the crew.
The Liberator would often have difficulty taking off due to its payload of 2,000-pound bombs. The aircraft would often skim the treetops on takeoff. It was cold in the plane due to the cruising altitude of 28,000 feet.
More than once we came home on two engines, Barnes said. On one occasion, with the brake system disabled, chutes were attached to the fuselage and deployed to slow down the landing speed.
Barnes crew lost only one member, but as he was flying on a separate plane as part of a split crew, Barnes watched the other craft fall from the sky without any of the crew escaping.
The army was good discipline, and it made a man out of me. I didnt have time to get a job or get into trouble, Barnes said in an interview with the BN-R.
Barnes said he has thought of the toll of the war he fought in, as well as the wars of today, and how war has never stopped being a tragedy.
Barnes received a Good Conduct medal, and Air medal with two clusters, and Army Air Force Pres. Unit with gold frame and two clusters, an Army Air medal with two clusters and a European Air Force MidEast medal with six Bronze Stars. Upon completing 51 missions on August 7, 1944, Barnes was scheduled to return to the U.S. for reassignment. After a two-week voyage back to the U.S. by a Navy ship, Barnes was moved about the country for about a year teaching mostly Aircraft Recognition. He was honorably discharged on September 10, 1945 and returned to Boone. Barnes enlisted in the National Guard upon returning home, and his military career ended with a medical discharge due to allergies three years later.
Barnes used the GI Bill to study pre-engineering at Boone Junior College. He received his degree in 1948 and was recruited by Iowa Electric Power Co. where he worked as an electrician and meter man until his retirement in 1984. Barnes has always been interested in technology and repaired television sets in his home from 1967 until the present.
Barnes will be aboard the Honor Flight to Washington D.C. on August 19.
Sgt JOSEPH BARNES was assigned or attached to the 459th Bombardment Group on 16 June 1944 according to a 27 October 1944 dated document subject roster of personnel sent to the commanding general NATOUSA
Sgt Joseph K Barnes was assigned to the 459th BG 756th Squadron.
Military Occupational Specialty (MOS): Ball Turret.
The following information on Joseph Barnes is gathered and extracted from military records. We have many documents and copies of documents, including military award documents. It is from these documents that we have found this information on Sgt Barnes. These serviceman's records are nowhere near complete and we are always looking for more material. If you can help add to Joseph Barnes's military record please contact us.
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Rank |
General Order |
Date |
Notes |
Award |
Ribbon & Device |
Joseph Barnes |
Sgt |
1420 |
06/28/1944 |
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AM |
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Joseph Barnes |
Sgt |
1517 |
07/03/1944 |
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AM/OLC |
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