"The last one I shot at was probably within 15 feet of me. I followed him all the way around and down in the water, he was close." - Private First Class Johnnie Barr
“I knew the lady that sent out the draft forms, so I said ‘the day you send mine out, you let me know,’ so she did and the next morning I went in and signed up for the Marine Corps,” United States Marine, Private First Class Johnnie Barr proudly shared with the United States Navy Memorial film crew at the USS Missouri Reunion in the fall of 2013. Barr began his interview by sharing memories of joining the United States Marine Corps and his proud service on the USS Missouri from its pre-commissioning to the conclusion of World War II. He recalled, “I went to Paris Island, South Carolina...camp was alright; from there I went to Norfolk...Washington D.C….then got assigned to the Missouri before it was even finished.” He would join the pre-commissioning detachment of Marines and prepare the ship for service. Barr would then sail into harm’s way on the USS Missouri.
Barr recounted his experiences defending the USS Missouri with vivid detail of Japanese Kamikazes threatening the Battleship. “I was a 20mm gunner...right on the bow...the last one I shot at was probably within 15 feet of me. I followed him all the way around and down in the water, he was close,” he shared. Barr was also at his battle station when a Kamikaze crashed into the Missouri, “The one that hit us, half of him came on the ship, half of him went into the water. Then the Chaplin set up...made a Japanese flag for him...to push him over the fan tail the next morning,” he recalled. Barr would serve on the USS Missouri throughout Kamikaze and land invasions in which the Missouri would provide fire support.
In addition to defending the Missouri, Barr was also ordered to alert Admiral Halsey as to possible Japanese submarines late one night. He sailed and served on the Missouri across the Pacific to the tense moments of entering Tokyo Harbor and the conclusion of the War. Remembering the surrender ceremony Barr remarked, “The biggest surprise was General Wainwright walked up on the top, nobody knew he was even around, nobody knew he was even alive, and everybody saluted him when he came up…When MacArthur said ‘the War is now finally over,’ there comes this big roar…every plane that we had that could fly…they flew them all over, we were going home.”
Barr served on the USS Missouri throughout its entire World War II service and to the first decommissioning. To hear Private First Class Johnnie Barr’s story come alive, view his detailed experience that has been digitally archived by the Navy Memorial.
The United States Navy Memorial honors United States Marine Private First Class Johnnie Barr, featured within the series titled, Tales from the Navy Log, Story of the Month. Each month, this series honors a Veteran’s story recorded by the Stories of Service Program at the Navy Memorial. To learn more about this story and to explore the Navy Memorial Tales from the Navy Log Archive, visit the Navy Memorial Stories of Service site.