Menu
Barnes recalls behind-the-scenes roles in World War II service
Eustrus Barnes of rural Hume was drafted into the U.S. Army in September of 1942. He said basic training at Camp Roberts, Calif., was "quite an experience, but so was getting there on the troop train."
It wasn't the manual labor that bothered him, as he had been farming on his own since he was 13; it was that he had never ridden on a train before or taken orders since he was self-employed. He made it through with flying colors, however.
He was placed in the 622nd Ammunition Ordinance Company when he was transferred to another base in California. His next stop was Maryland where he was sent to ammunition school, then back to California. Eustrus and seven other soldiers from his cadre formed the 665th Ammunition Ordinance Company and were sent to Texas for more training. Most of the ammunition used was for rifles; M-1, and 30 and 50 caliber machine guns and field artillery shells.
The tough farm boy adapted to all the moves, but was unprepared for the weather in Europe. He was sent to England near London where it rained and was foggy all the time. He caught a cough and couldn't get rid of it. He coughed and coughed and ended up with an injury from the coughing. On Day 19, they were put off the landing craft and had to wade in to the shore in armpit-deep water. He wasn't supposed to carry heavy loads so when the 25 mile march for Normandy began on Day 19, his back pack was put with the officers and he didn't have to carry it.
"My back pack never did catch up with me," Barnes said. His buddy had the other half of the pup tent so they ended up throwing the buddy's tent over them to sleep. A back pack was finally issued several days later and he had what he needed.
Since Eustrus wasn't supposed to be lifting, he was made permanent Corporal of the Guard, posting all of the guards. He ran the ammunition depot.
The Quartermaster delivered the heavy wooden boxes of ammunition. These boxes were unloaded and then he oversaw getting it stocked. Barnes said that when they were in the ammunition trucks following General Patton across Normandy and weren't supposed to be within 8 miles of the lines; but once, they got off the trail and got ahead of the Infantry! They definitely weren't supposed to be there and got some sharp language when they found the troops, but they made it.
Since his living quarters were close to the mess hall area, he was asked to drive the supply truck for the kitchen all day and still be responsible for posting the guards.
Barnes said, "For two years I didn't get much sleep. Sometimes I was so tired that I would lay down on the wooden kitchen tables and go to sleep and someone would wake me up to do the posting guards. We all worked together."
"Our company was not a part of any brigade and we never lost a man until the war was over and one guy was killed in a truck wreck. Another went on a three-day pass and drank too much liquor. He fell off the bridge into the river and drowned." Barnes was deployed in France, Belgium, Holland and then in Germany, but he wasn't there long because the atomic bomb was dropped on Aug, 6, 1945, and the war was soon over. He got out of the Army in December 1945 and was released at St. Louis. He hitch-hiked home and got there just before Christmas. At that time, a serviceman in uniform only needed to hold up his thumb and he got a ride.
Barnes married Betty Devenney Aug. 31, 1943, while home on leave. They had three children, Mary Beth, Tom and David, 11 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren. He has farmed in the community since his release from service except for three months when they sold out and went to California. He couldn't stand it so they headed back to Hume, Mo. Betty died in 2002.
"I'm glad I served," Eustrus said of his time in the service. "I wasn't happy about it at the time, but I'm glad I was able to do it."
He was in the reserves for three years and got out just before the Korean War. He was glad he didn't have to go again.