Dates

• Existence: 1920 - 1995

Biographical Note

Col. William Frederick Barnes, USAF (Ret.) was born August 30, 1920 in Baltimore, Maryland. His family soon moved to Honolulu, Hawaii, and he graduated from Roosevelt High School (Honolulu, Hawaii) in 1938. After graduation he joined the Bishop National Bank. In 1941 he attended the Civilian Pilot Training programs at the University of Hawaii. His final flight test was scheduled for December 7, 1941, but never took off due to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He applied for military pilot training in the wake of the attacks, and was accepted as an aviation cadet at Hickam Field (Hawaii) in early 1942. He flew in the European Theater, completing 210 missions in Africa, Italy, France, and Germany. He received the Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, and Air Medal for his efforts in the war.

After the war, Barns was assigned to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (Ohio), where he worked as the jet maintenance engineering project officer and then as the Air Force Plant Representative at North American Aviation (Los Angeles, California). It was during this time that Col. Barns established his World Speed Record of 715 miles per hour. In 1954 he attended the Air Command and Staff School and the Air Force Jet Instrument School. Upon completion, he was assigned to the Directorate of Maintenance Engineering at McClellan Air Force Base (California).

In March of 1956, Colonel Barns moved with his wife Marylouise and children Terrie Jo and Chip to Nagoya, Japan, where Col. Barns was assigned to the Headquarters of the 5th Air Force to work on the F-100 Conversion Project. Later in 1956 the Barns moved to Itasuke Air Base (Japan), where Col. Barns was made Commander of the 8th Fighter Bomber Group.



Col. William Frederick Barns died in 1995.

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