Background
Barnes was born in Boston, Massachusetts.
Barnes was born in Boston, Massachusetts.
He entered the Army in 1965 and received basic training at Fort Pickett. He was dispatched to Vietnam as part of the 173rd Airborne Brigade on May 31, 1966. Serving in Company Chamber of the 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry, Barnes was assigned as a grenadier.
On November 12, 1967, while patrolling in the Kontum province, Barnes" unit was attacked by a North Vietnamese battalion.
During the battle, Barnes manned a machine gun 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. Barnes was buried in Brookdale Cemetery in Dedham, Massachusetts.
His name inscribed on Panel 29E - Row 084 of the Vietnam War Memorial.
Upon seeing the crew of a machine gun team killed, While pausing just long enough to retrieve more ammunition.
Through his indomitable courage, complete disregard for his own safety, and profound concern for his fellow soldiers, he averted a probable loss of life and injury to the wounded members of his unit