SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 42

(By Senators Romano, Jeffries, Caputo, and Lindsay)

[Introduced February 07, 2022]

Requesting the Division of Highways name bridge number 17A282 (17-025/99-000.34), locally known as Camden Street Bridge, over the West Fork River in Harrison County, the “U.S.M.C. SSGT Herbert ‘Herbie’ D. Barnes Veteran Memorial Bridge”.

Whereas, Herbert “Herbie” D. Barnes was born May 15, 1927, to alcoholic parents and raised in extreme poverty in West Virginia. He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps at age 19, writing in his journal that the Marine Corps became his family and his home for two decades where he “slept in warm barracks, had three warm meals a day, had nice clothes, shoes, and a hot shower every day”; and

Whereas, SSGT Herbert “Herbie” D. Barnes left training in Quantico, Virginia, to board the troop ship USS President Adams headed for Trinidad in 1947 when the ship was caught in a typhoon that nearly capsized the vessel, causing him to remember that “I was scared to death that the ship was going to sink”; and

Whereas, SSGT Herbert “Herbie” D. Barnes helped guard the amphibious base in Trinidad where he watched PBY seaplanes land and take off on the water as part of their mission to hunt enemy submarines. He took his next ocean voyage, headed to South Korea, where he fought on the beaches in and around Inchon Harbor. SSGT Herbert “Herbie” D. Barnes and his unit fought their way to Korea’s capital of Seoul where they were targeted by snipers during a 10-day battle; and

Whereas, SSGT Herbert “Herbie” D. Barnes and his fellow Marines dug in for an extremely bloody battle with Red Chinese soldiers in temperatures that dropped as low as 35 degrees below zero. They used sandbags and frozen bodies since it was too cold to dig foxholes for which he and his fellow troops were dubbed the “Frozen Chosen”; and

Whereas, SSGT Herbert “Herbie” D. Barnes served as a drill instructor during the Vietnam War, a time he rarely discussed with his family. His son remembers his father somberly describing it as the spookiest place he had ever been. SSGT Herbert “Herbie” D. Barnes retired after 20-years in the U.S. Marine Corps earning a WW II Victory Medal, Good Conduct Medal with three stars, Presidential Unit Citation with one-star, Korean Service Medal with three stars, and National Defense Service Medal with one star; and

Whereas, SSGT Herbert “Herbie” D. Barnes was a member of the VFW, Post 573, and past commander of the Elks and Moose. He died on October 29, 2017, at age 90; and

Whereas, It is fitting that an enduring memorial be established to commemorate SSGT Herbert “Herbie” D. Barnes and his contributions to our state and country; therefore, be it

Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That the Division of Highways is hereby requested to name bridge number 17A282 (17-025/99-000.34), locally known as Camden Street Bridge, over the West Fork River in Harrison County, the “U.S.M.C. SSGT Herbert ‘Herbie’ D. Barnes Veteran Memorial Bridge”; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Division of Highways is hereby requested to have made and be placed signs identifying the bridge as the “U.S.M.C SSGT Herbert ‘Herbie’ D. Barnes Memorial Bridge”; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the Senate is hereby directed to forward a copy of this resolution to the Commissioner of the Division of Highways.