Allen Roy Barnes
Specialist Four
A BTRY, 2ND BN, 13TH ARTILLERY, 23RD ARTY GROUP, II FIELD FORCE, USARV
Army of the United States
Aguila, Arizona
February 26, 1947 to May 13, 1968
ALLEN R BARNES is on the Wall at Panel 59E, Line 16

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Allen R Barnes
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07 Dec 2005

Specialist 4th Class Allen Roy Barnes was a 32K20, Tactical Wire Operations Specialist, attached to A Battery 2/13 Artillery. In our battalion the commo guys always worked with one of the gun crews during fire missions. The gun crews relied totally on land line wires to receive firing data from the Fire Direction Center. Commo wire ran all over the battery area.

Robert Newcombe of B Battery explains that if "Charlie" dropped a couple of mortar rounds in the battery area it was just a matter of time before someone's commo wire got cut. The commo guys would have to scamper through the incoming rounds trying to repair the cut wire. The commo guys acted independently whenever these breaks occurred. We assume Allen Barnes did, too.

Allen Barnes enlisted in the Army, and started his service with A Battery on February 1, 1968. On May 13, 1968 Allen was wounded at a fire support base during a mortar attack and died from the injuries. He was one of several Red Dragon Clan casualties who were commo men. We cannoneers never looked on them as commo men, but as fellow gun bunnies. Whenever a fire mission was in progress all available personnel became cannoneers, from the commo men to the motor pool men to the ammo men to the fire direction center men.

Rest in Peace, Specialist Barnes. You are remembered by the Red Dragon Clan for your selfless devotion to the guys in the unit.

From a unit veteran,
William E. Novakovic
513 Woodland Avenue, Oakmont, Pa. 15139
historian_wen@msn.com


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