Memorial

More information

Capt Charles L. Barnett graduated from Denham Springs High School in March 1933.

He enlisted on 26 February 1941 at Fort Knox, Kentucky and was selected for Officer's Candidate School. He was sent overseas in April 1943 and participated in campaigns in Africa, Sicily, Italy, France and Germany.

He was awarded the Silver Star Medal. The citation cited: Lieutenant Barnett, Platoon Commander, Company F, 2d Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82d Airborne Division, although suffering from a painful shrapnel leg wound, volunteered to locate hidden enemy mortars registering heavy fire on the positions of his Company. Unhesitatingly he crossed open terrain through intense enemy fire until he was able to see the muzzle blasts of the mortars. He mapped their position and returned through the barrage with location data which resulted in the destruction of the enemy mortar positions. On this mission, he received a chest wound and lung injuries. Lieutenant Barnett's actions throughout the engagement were characterized by self-sacrificing courage and intelligent initiative of the highest quality
Maj William R. Carpenter was together with Capt Barnett in a kayak on the Rhine river. Maj Carpenter wanted to retrieve a body of a trooper of E Company, who was killed the night before. Suddenly men of the 505th heard splashing on the water and screaming. They jumped in the water on the place where they heard the sound came from, but the splashing and screaming suddenly stopped.