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Billy BARNES was the only child of William Roy Barnes and Margaret Louise Hagerty. He joined the Army Air Corps in 1942 and was married that same year to Mary Lee Anderson of Athens.
Overseas in June of 1943, he served 16 months with the Air Corps' 1700th Air Transport Group, flying 158 missions across "the Hump" in the China-Burma-India theater, for which service he was awarded the Air Medal and the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Meanwhile, Billy's family waited in Athens for his return. After the war, they were stationed, first, at Love Field in Dallas. While at Love, Billy introduced Mary Lee's sister, Margaret, to his friend Jack Burkett, with whom he had served in India, and the friends became brothers-in-law. Then it was on to Kansas for a stint and, in 1947, to Robins Field in Warner Robins, Georgia. While overseas, he had been promoted to Captain and in early 1949 he received notice of a promotion to Major along with a transfer to San Antonio for service as a flight instructor.
Unfortunately, before that move was completed, Billy was killed when, returning from California, a domestic military flight went down in the Serranias del Burro Mountains, Mexico, February 28, 1949.
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Billy BARNES was the only child of William Roy Barnes and Margaret Louise Hagerty. He joined the Army Air Corps in 1942 and was married that same year to Mary Lee Anderson of Athens.
Overseas in June of 1943, he served 16 months with the Air Corps' 1700th Air Transport Group, flying 158 missions across "the Hump" in the China-Burma-India theater, for which service he was awarded the Air Medal and the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Meanwhile, Billy's family waited in Athens for his return. After the war, they were stationed, first, at Love Field in Dallas. While at Love, Billy introduced Mary Lee's sister, Margaret, to his friend Jack Burkett, with whom he had served in India, and the friends became brothers-in-law. Then it was on to Kansas for a stint and, in 1947, to Robins Field in Warner Robins, Georgia. While overseas, he had been promoted to Captain and in early 1949 he received notice of a promotion to Major along with a transfer to San Antonio for service as a flight instructor.
Unfortunately, before that move was completed, Billy was killed when, returning from California, a domestic military flight went down in the Serranias del Burro Mountains, Mexico, February 28, 1949.
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Billy BARNES was the only child of William Roy Barnes and Margaret Louise Hagerty. He joined the Army Air Corps in 1942 and was married that same year to Mary Lee Anderson of Athens.
Overseas in June of 1943, he served 16 months with the Air Corps' 1700th Air Transport Group, flying 158 missions across "the Hump" in the China-Burma-India theater, for which service he was awarded the Air Medal and the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Meanwhile, Billy's family waited in Athens for his return. After the war, they were stationed, first, at Love Field in Dallas. While at Love, Billy introduced Mary Lee's sister, Margaret, to his friend Jack Burkett, with whom he had served in India, and the friends became brothers-in-law. Then it was on to Kansas for a stint and, in 1947, to Robins Field in Warner Robins, Georgia. While overseas, he had been promoted to Captain and in early 1949 he received notice of a promotion to Major along with a transfer to San Antonio for service as a flight instructor.
Unfortunately, before that move was completed, Billy was killed when, returning from California, a domestic military flight went down in the Serranias del Burro Mountains, Mexico, February 28, 1949.
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Billy BARNES was the only child of William Roy Barnes and Margaret Louise Hagerty. He joined the Army Air Corps in 1942 and was married that same year to Mary Lee Anderson of Athens.
Overseas in June of 1943, he served 16 months with the Air Corps' 1700th Air Transport Group, flying 158 missions across "the Hump" in the China-Burma-India theater, for which service he was awarded the Air Medal and the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Meanwhile, Billy's family waited in Athens for his return. After the war, they were stationed, first, at Love Field in Dallas. While at Love, Billy introduced Mary Lee's sister, Margaret, to his friend Jack Burkett, with whom he had served in India, and the friends became brothers-in-law. Then it was on to Kansas for a stint and, in 1947, to Robins Field in Warner Robins, Georgia. While overseas, he had been promoted to Captain and in early 1949 he received notice of a promotion to Major along with a transfer to San Antonio for service as a flight instructor.
Unfortunately, before that move was completed, Billy was killed when, returning from California, a domestic military flight went down in the Serranias del Burro Mountains, Mexico, February 28, 1949.
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