Cpl. Barna, 95, urges all Americans to proudly display the American flag
Jun. 12—FREELAND — U.S. Marine Corps veteran Joe Barna this week said the American flag is a symbol for what so many real Americans have fought and died for.
"Why else would they give up their life?" Barna asked.
Flag Day — Saturday, June 14 — is the day we honor our national flag. The holiday commemorates the date in 1777 when the United States approved the design.
Cpl. Joe Barna, 95 of Freeland, is a Purple Heart recipient who fought in the Korean War. He offered his thoughts on the importance of Flag Day.
Barna, as he does every year, placed American flags on the graves of veterans buried in several cemeteries in Freeland — St. Ann's Cemetery, St. John's Cemetery, St. Michael's Cemetery and St. Casimir's Cemetery. Barna places the flags with the assistance of the Freeland VFW and Freeland American Legion.
"I consider Flag Day a sister to Memorial Day," Barna said. "Think of it as the mother-day of all those flags that were placed over all our veterans — veterans who now sleep in the cemeteries all over America and many foreign countries."
Barna, an award-winning writer, puts things in perspective when the topic is patriotism and veterans.
"How many Americans really know the pride, honor, love, courage, duty and sacrifice for which our flag stands?" Barna asked. "Every veteran who fought and died for our country feels this pride and will die with it. After their final moments of life, an American flag will be draped over their coffin."
Barna said if you walk among the many flags in almost any cemetery, don't just look at each flag.
"Try to feel the pain that that boy — who never became a man — felt when the bullet struck his body, or the pieces of shrapnel tore into him," Barna said. "Share his pain."
Barna stressed the importance the flag plays.
"A flag tells you what a country is," Barna said. "What I have personally seen were brothers dying for brothers. And for a love that we call 'Old Glory.' It stands high in every battle that young people fight and die."
Barna said the American flag distinctly has 13 stripes and 50 stars and it's red, white and blue. He said it appears on every military uniform and on every ship, plane, tank and vehicle.
"It gives our troops courage and hope," Barna said. "Look at the flag and try to feel what it stands for."
Barna said he still has a South Korean flag that the Korean people gave him — it still reminds him of the 24-hour battles the seemed to last for weeks; the minus-30 degrees in winter and the 120 degrees in summer; the crying of the wounded and the silence of the dead.
"In Korea, memories were burned into my brain that will never go away," Barna said.
Barna said he recently spoke with a Marine who fought alongside him 74 years ago.
"He learned of my experiences through a Korean War website, found my number and called me on the phone," Barna said. "We were in the same battles those many years ago. We went to Korea on the same ship and returned on the same ship 13 months later. We returned with the same bodies, but changed. We never forgot each other. The Marine's name is Jim Barnett and he lives in Oregon. We have the same memories."
Barna said he wonders how Americans would feel if what happened to the people of South Korea happened to them?
"Look at our flag and be glad this doesn't happen to us," Barna said. "Our flag is not a colored piece of cloth. It stands for so many young men who gave up their life for it."
Barna said as you walk through a cemetery, stop and look at our flag in a flag holder. The flag holder will tell you which of our wars this veteran fought in. The stone will tell you the date he was born and the day he died.
"You will be surprised to see some of the ages won't be much more than 20 to 25 years old," Barna said. "Many never got the chance to marry his sweetheart, hold a baby in his arms or eventually become a grandfather."
Barna said when you watch veterans fold the flag and present it to a family member at a funeral, think of the story that each fold tells.
"These stories are about young men who are proud to be called American veterans," Barna said. "Try to feel what the boy felt when a bullet entered his body or shell fragments tore through him. I don't believe many could look at someone when this happens. The best friend I ever had, died when 18 pieces of hot metal entered his body from an exploding shell. I wish I could have shared some of that pain. That boy became my guardian angel and I know he's watching over me — 74 years ago, he found me as I laid wounded and bleeding. He said 'Corporal, God doesn't want you yet.'
"I think he recently sent me an email saying, 'He still doesn't want you, you have more work to do.' But someday, I hope I earned the right to be covered with an American flag."
Barna said the American flag should always be flown high and proud.
Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.
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