SP4 Phil Barnes
326 Engr 101st Abn
814th Engr Co Fb
I was born in February of 1955. I joined the Army/American Infantry Platoon in 1973 when they sent me to Fort Ord, California for Basic Training then to the 12th Infantry Regiment at Fort Carson, Colorado for infantry OJT (on the job training). The Army had told us some stories, they investigated, and let us out. In 1975 I rejoined and passed 12B10 Combat Engineer AIT at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, then to Fort Campbell, Kentucky and the 326 Engineers. We went to Germany for Reforger 76 (an international war game in 1976) and did training missions all over West Germany and the Netherlands. In 1977 we did the Marine Amphibious training course (sea assault) at Norfolk, Virginia. Later in 1977 I was transferred to the 814th Engineer Company (Float Bridge) at Hanau, Germany. We bridged the Rhine River but usually did bridge missions near Ingolstadt on the Main River. Whenever we put up a bridge, a group of old German men, some without arms or legs would watch us for hours. This always happened. I got out in 1979. I earned the National Defense Service Medal.
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