Honoring Our Heroes

Corporal Dale Richard Barnes: Age 75

Corporal (Cpl) Dale Richard Barnes served two years in the United States Marine Corps. His Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) was rifleman/radio operator. He received the following medals, commendations, ribbons and awards: Purple Heart, Navy Commendation Medal “V”, Combat Action Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with three bronze stars, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal with 1960 Device, Rifle Marksman Badge, Vietnam Campaign Ribbon and Good Conduct Medal.

Cpl Barnes was born August 2, 1949 to his parents, Otis and Anna Barnes, at Ft. Fairfield, Maine. After graduating from Ft. Fairfield High School, he volunteered for service in the United States Marine Corps. Cpl Barnes enlisted in February 1967, and he had 120 days of deferment while he was still in high school. He then entered the U. S. Marine Corps June 10, 1967 and completed 12 weeks of Marine Boot Camp at Parris Island, S.C., followed by four weeks of infantry training at Camp LeJeune. When he had his 18th birthday, he reached the age when he could go to

Vietnam, and he spent four weeks of Vietnamese indoctrination at Camp Pendleton preparing to go to Vietnam. Upon arrival at Vietnam, he was sent to his unit in the northern sector of Vietnam which is known as 1 Corp which included the district of Quang Tri and located five miles from the DMZ. When he arrived with his unit, the 3rd Marine Division 2nd Battalion 4th Marine Hotel Company at that time, there were not enough supplies to allow him to go on any action or patrol that the unit might be assigned. He had to wait two weeks before his equipment caught up with him and his Hotel Company. While he was waiting for his equipment to arrive, he was asked by the captain of Hotel Company if he would like to train on the radio until his equipment caught up with him within two weeks. When his equipment arrived, the captain asked him to stay at the headquarters of his H Company as the radio operator for the executive officer of the company. That was known as the Bravo Command within the unit. During his tour of duty with Hotel Company, he fought in three major operations which earned him three Bronze Stars which could be placed on his Vietnam Campaign Medal. He was wounded at a foothill near Khe Sanh Province, tried to call in an air strike and passed out. He was medevaced via helicopter to the hospital ship, USS Sanctuary, remaining on it for four weeks. Then he was transferred to a medical facility at Tachikawa, Japan, for three months. Next, he was sent to the Chelsa Naval Hospital at Boston, MA, for treatment for 1.5 years. He then served as a guard on the U.S. Constitution for four weeks on active duty at Boston, MA. He was discharged from military service August 5, 1969 with 100% service connected medical disability.

Cpl Barnes used the G.I. Bill and graduated with a B.A. Degree in Biblical Studies from Gordon College, MA, in 1972 and a Masters Degree in Religious Education from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in 1978. During this time, he served as an elder at the Community Church in East Glouster, MA. After graduating from the Seminary, he served as the pastor of the Irasburg United Church in Irasburg, VT, for seven years. He then returned to the Community Church of East Glouster, MA, serving as the pastor for 15 years. Next, he served as pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Prattville, AL, for five years. He then served as the Interim Pastor at Beulah Baptist Church in Wetumpka, AL, followed by serving as pastor of Rock Springs Baptist Church in Elmore County, AL. For the past five years, he has served as the pastor of the Titus Baptist Church in Elmore County, AL. He has served in the ministry for 46 years since 1978.

Cpl Barnes and his wife, Janice, were married 42 years before she passed away, and they had two children and two grandchildren. He holds membership in the following military service organizations: Disabled American Veterans, American Legion, VFW, Purple Heart Association and the U.S. Marine Corps League.

Cpl Barnes’ conclusions about what his military service means to him are: “It prepared me psychologically so that I could go through the treatments at the hospitals for so long. I was prepared for counseling people who were sick or dying when I became a pastor. At my first church, a member was fatally injured in an accident with farming machinery. My experiences in the Marine Corps and in the hospital prepared me for helping others. I was making decisions calling in Naval guns, air strikes and medevacs while serving in combat. These experiences of making decisions prepared me for the ministry and for helping others counseling with Hospice with a program called Reach Out.” He would like people to remember him as being faithful to the calling of God to the church, sensitive to needs of others around him.