Fred Barnett
Bio
Fred Barnett was in college studying to be a carpenter when the Korean War broke out. Because his three brothers had served in WWII, he saw it as his obligation to serve and enlisted in April or May of 1950. He joined the Air Force hoping to become a pilot, but instead he was given the job of Air Force carpenter. He did not see any combat during his time in Korea in 1952, but tells the story of a time hearing some friendly fire. Fred Barnett recalls what life was like in the camps, recognizing that he things were pretty good because he was not on the front lines. He explains that he believes that the United States accomplished in Korea was a positive thing and that we should continue to support them.
Video Clips
A Dangerous Moment of Friendly Fire
Fred Barnett did not see any combat in Korea. He describes an incident of "friendly fire" when he and other soldiers were out on patrol on nearby railroad tracks. He heard shots coming from the nearby rice paddy. He and his lieutenant investigated, and found it was American soldiers shooting at ducks.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9tBMoJiO20&start=814&end=942
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/fred-barnett#clip-1
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Life in the Camp
Fred Barnett describes life at the camps. He describes the food, showers, etc, generally saying that life wasn't too bad and that the food was actually better than what he was getting at home. He says he had a good time in the camp, as he was away from the front lines.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9tBMoJiO20&start=953&end=1044
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/fred-barnett#clip-2
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Legacy of Korean War Veterans
Fred Barnett says that his experiences during the war were good. He believes that that what the US accomplished for the Koreans was good and that we should continue to support them. While he has not gone back to Korea, he would like to, and was interested in the program of Korean Government helping veterans to visit.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9tBMoJiO20&start=1526&end=1580
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/fred-barnett#clip-3
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