WILKES-BARRE — Joe Barna once said something during an interview that will stick with me forever.
Mr. Barna said, “To live each day to it’s fullest, to appreciate your family and friends. To replace hate with love.”
That was Mr. Barna’s New Year’s resolution — but it was more than that. Those few poignant, inspiring words summed up how Mr. Barna lived each moment of his life.
And what a life it was.
Lance Corporal Joseph Richard Barna passed away on Wednesday, Aug. 19. He was 96 years old.
Mr. Barna always said he wanted to live to age 100 — the truth is, Mr. Barna will live in our hearts and minds forever.
Mr. Barna’s obituary says the Freeland resident passed peacefully, surrounded by his loving family, before reuniting with his wife, Eleanore, in heaven.
Mr. Barna was proud of being a United States Marine — a combat veteran of the Korean War, where he served from June 1952 until cease fire in July 1953, carrying a flame thrower and being wounded several times.
Mr. Barna was the recipient of several combat medals, including two Purple Hearts for his bravery.
We met through his passionate advocacy for veterans and he frequently wrote and spoke about the common experiences of war.
Mr. Barna’s favorite story to tell was published in his memoir — “God Makes Angels and Navy Corpsmen, A Korean War Veteran’s Memories of the War and Life.” He won five national gold medals in the creative writing divisions of the annual Veteran’s Administration Creative Arts Contest.
I have always enjoyed writing about Mr. Barna and giving him the opportunity to talk about veterans, patriotism, respect for the U.S. flag and any other topic he chose to discuss. Mr. Barna always spoke from his heart.
His book — “God Makes Angels and Navy Corpsmen: A Korean War Veteran’s Memories of the War and Life” — is a gripping and potent memoir that provides a vivid perspective of first-hand experiences of war.
Barna’s combat time in Korea included some of the most terrible fighting that the Marines endured including the mountain battles at Bunker Hill, Old Baldy, Siberia, Vegas, and Reno.
“I wanted to share a story about a Navy corpsman,” Barna told me. “A man who saved my life on top of a mountain in Korea. He gave me 68 more years of life.”
The man Barna was talking about is John ‘Jackie’ Kilmer — and the years added to Mr. Barna’s life extended to 73 this year.
Mr. Barna said Kilmer was just a boy from Michigan who loved Marines and wanted to save as many as he could.
“His face is forever cemented in my mind and my heart,” Mr. Barna said. “Jackie was tall, maybe 6 feet-2 inches, and very thin. He had a high squeaky voice, like the Wally Cox TV character Mr. Peepers. In those few quiet times between battles, I shared a bunker with Jackie, and we became good friends.”
Published by Page Publishing, Barna’s powerful work shares the author’s journey as he served with the 1st Marine Division, 1st Regiment, 1st Battalion, Baker Company, Anti-assault Platoon.
From growing up in Freeland, through Marine Corps boot camp and training, and finally, remembering and coping with buried memories decades later, Barna recounts his life events.
On the book’s back cover, Barna tells the story of being in battle and the heroic efforts of John “Jackie” Kilmer:
“I was knocked down by a shell. As I found myself laying on my back, the half-full flamethrower tank pinning me to the ground, a North Korean soldier came at me with his bayonet.
“In his quilted suit, he seemed to come out of nowhere. I can still see his face and smell the garlic on his breath.
“As he lunged at me, I was able to turn, but he stabbed my upper left arm with his bayonet. I had a double-barrel shotgun taped on the arm of my flamethrower and gave him both barrels. I think I blew him in half.
“The battle kept going on around me. Weapons fire was all around me, and I heard other boys being hit and falling. I laid there feeling weak as blood from my deep wound seeped out on the Korean dirt. I must have been ready to blackout when I heard a familiar voice say, ‘Joe, if I don’t close up that wound, you’ll die.’”
Mr. Barna said the Navy corpsman is a wounded Marine’s best hope to survive.
“Every Marine that I ever fought alongside was my hero,” he said. “I watched so many fight and die. “I witnessed courage there that I will never forget.”
Kilmer cleaned Barna’s wound, sewed it closed with a needle and thread and tightly bandaged his arm.
“I returned to the ongoing fire-fight,” Barna said.
Several weeks later, Mr. Barna said Kilmer was called to go to a nearby battle to help with the wounded. During this battle, Kilmer was hit with shrapnel and was taken into a bunker to be treated.
“From inside the bunker, he heard Marines calling out for help,” Barna said. “Looking out, he saw two wounded men on the battlefield. The sergeant told him that if he would go out there, he would die.”
Kilmer replied, “If I don’t go out there, they will die!”
Barna said Kilmer crawled out to them and began to treat their wounds. As he did, a heavy round of shelling came in. Kilmer threw himself over the two Marines. A shell landed so close that 15 pieces of shrapnel entered his body.
Kilmer died, but the two Marines lived. Kilmer was six days short of his 22nd birthday.
Jackie Kilmer was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. His medal was presented to his mother.
Shortly after Barna arrived home in 1953, he called Kilmer’s mother in Flint, Mich. He told her that her son was the bravest man he ever met.
Barna carried a picture of his hero, John “Jackie” Kilmer, in his pocket — close to his heart.
Mr. Barna carried the memory of all veterans in his heart.
Like Mr. Barna said, live each day to it’s fullest, appreciate your family and friends — and replace hate with love.
Godspeed Mr. Barna. You lived a remarkable life.
We will miss you forever — and we shall never forget you.