World War II Honoree

John J. Barna

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

South Bend, Indiana

Honored By

The Hall & Petsovich Families

TECHNICAL SERGEANT. SERVED IN THE U.S. MARINE CORPS FROM DECEMBER 27, 1941 TO JANUARY 13, 1946 AND WAS A LIFE MEMBER OF THE ST. JOSEPH VALLEY DETACHMENT MARINE CORP LEAGUE, SOUTH BEND, INDIANA. WAS A PLANE CAPTAIN AND CREW CHIEF FOR VMF-N-531 UNDER COMMANDING OFFICER COLONEL FRANK SCHWABLE. HE WAS ONE OF A CREW OF THREE WHO FLEW A P.V. MEDIUM BOMBER CONVERTED TO A NIGHT FIGHTER. RECORDED 99 HOURS OF COMBAT AREA FLYING AND COUNTLESS HOURS OF COMBAT AIR PATROLS DURING THE BOUGAINVILLE CAMPAIGN. FOR HIS MERITORIOUS ACHIEVEMENT WITH MARINE NIGHT FIGHTER SQUADRON 531, HE WAS AWARDED THE AIR MEDAL BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE U.S. AND THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY. HIS SQUADRON WAS COMMISSIONED ON NOVEMBER 16, 1942 AT CHERRY POINT MARINE AIR STATION, SENT TO HAWAII AND DEPLOYED TO THE SOUTH PACIFIC ON AUGUST 19, 1943. HE AND HIS PLANE, 'CHLOE' USED GROUND AND AIRCRAFT RADAR TO LOCATE ENEMY PLANES AT NIGHT AND DESTROY THEM. THE PLANE IS CREDITED WITH DOWNING 4 PLANES AND HIS SQUADRON IS CREDITED WITH 12 ENEMY JAPANESE PLANES. HIS TOUR OF DUTY WITH VMF-N-531 INCLUDED THE SOLOMON ISLANDS JULY 16, 1943 TO JULY 7, 1944; NEW GEORGIA ISLANDS AUGUST 15, 1943 TO OCTOBER 16, 1943; CONSOLIDATION OF THE NORTHERN SOLOMON ISLANDS OCTOBER 22, 1943 TO MAY 5, 1944; BOUGAINVILLE OCTOBER 27, 1943 TO MAY 5, 1944;BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO DECEMBER 15, 1943 TO MAY 5, 1944. HIS SECOND TOUR OF DUTY, WITH VMF-N-533 INCLUDED OKINAWA AND CHINA COMBAT PATROLS JULY 1945 TO DECEMBER 1945. RECEIVED THE AIR MEDAL, COMBAT ACTION RIBBON AND THE CHINA WAR MEMORIAL MEDAL.