Conard Barnes

Conard Barnes, the son of James and Margaret Helen Barnes, is a lifelong resident of Rockport. Conard was born and raised in the Rockport area and when it came time to retire, he and his wife selected Rockport. As retirees, they have a nice view of Rockport and can look out in the evening and watch the sun sitting just over the horizon of the Green River. They are content. Like most families, in Conard's early years, his parents had to go North to try Louisville or other more Northern cities for a few months or years due to the scarcity of jobs in the Rockport area. The Louisville move did not work out for James and Margaret Barnes and it was back to Rockport and try to survive on what jobs were available.

Conard started grade school at Rockport and was able to finish eight years and was then bussed to Beaver Dam to complete his education. After entering the eleventh grade and before graduation, Conard quit school and joined the Navy. He was sent to Great Lakes, Illinois for "Boot Camp". From there he was sent to Norfolk, Virginia and assigned to a ship. I think that most "Seaman", sooner or later, spend some time in Norfolk. His new ship was quite a ship in 1968 when he reported for sea duty. At that time, it was named USS Independence CVA 62. In later years, and before being decommissioned, this wonderful old ship was given less responsibility and renamed USS Independence CV 62. The "A" in the original name meant that it was an "Assault Aircraft Carrier" and it certainly was a warrior that was staffed with 5,000 able seamen. One of Conard's responsibility was the loading of the ten inch guns. Conard served on this Carrier, in the Atlantic Ocean, and made "Ports Of Call" in Florida, Cuba, and in England. While offshore in England, the flag was being raised and as Conard turned to salute, a 2x6 board fell from some scaffolding, hitting Conard in the head. He was severely injured and spent time in a hospital. His head injury caused "Brain Seizures", and eventually led to a "Medical Discharge" under "Honorable Conditions". After serving only one year and eight days, Conard was send back home with a small pension and a condition of one hundred percent disabled.

After years of treatment, under care of the VA Hospital, Conard improved enough, in later years, to be able to work on a limited basis. At the time, the area mines were building "Draglines" to work in the big strip-mines and he became a construction worker and help build several local draglines. After the big dragline was build at Pyramid Mines, Conard got a permanent job with Pyramid and worked, until the mine shut down. By now Conard had ten years as a miner. Then, he went to work on a construction project at the big Tennessee Valley Authority Steam Power Plant, later became a permanent heavy equipment operator and worked from 1991 until 2003.

Conard was not through. He received a "Calling To Preach" and with the help of some local pastors and a lot of self training and study, he became a "Lay Preacher" In 1996, he received a certificate denoting him as a "Lay Preacher. As a Missionary Baptist Layman Preacher, Conard did some missionary work in India and in Israel.

After getting his honorable discharge, and returning to Rockport, Conard found the love of his life and married Linda Wallace. This marriage produced two girls and at this date, there are five grandchildren. Life is good at the Barnes' place.

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Thanks Conard. Thanks for your service to our country. We all seem to sleep a little better knowing that we still have young men and women that volunteer to serve in the military to keep us safe. Military people everywhere-You are the greatest.

: ~ )

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