FISH Jan. Speaker Series with WWII Merchant Marine
Eugene F Barner United States Merchant Marines (1943-1946)
Gene Barner has a compelling life story to share! Gene was born in Cassville, Missouri in 1925. His family moved to Kansas City, Kansas in 1931 and he graduated from Washington High School in 1943. Shortly after graduation, Gene enlisted in the United States Merchant Marines and was sent to Sheepshead Bay, NY for mariner training. Upon completion of training in April of 1944, Gene was sent to San Francisco for deployment. During his tours, he deployed on some of the most dangerous Pacific supply convoys of the war. One of his last being the conquest of Okinawa just days prior to dropping of the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima.
During WWII, 1 in every 26 Merchant Mariners were killed compared to 1 in 34 Marines, 1 in 48 Army, 1 in 114 Navy and 1 in 421 Coast Guard. The Merchant Marines were responsible for supplying American and Allied forces with over 268,200,00 tons of everything the allies needed to win the war and were part of every WWII invasion and received no benefits when the war ended. The Merchant Marines were designated as “veterans” by the US government in 1988.
Veterans who attend this event will receive a special surprise!
F.I.S.H. has partnered with Outlaw to provide a monthly speaker series open to veterans of our armed forces. If you are a military veteran, we invite you to attend these informative and helpful meetings.
Friends In Service of Heroes (F.I.S.H.) is an organization assisting veterans with goals based on "Four Pillars of Support"; Health - Guidance - Recognition - Support.
For more on F.I.S.H. visit: https://www.facebook.com/friendsinserviceofheroes/
FISH - Friends In Service of Heroes
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