A musically talented young lady, Julia Barnes was also quite educated with a college degree in education and then a university nursing degree. All her talents and expertise were lost in tragedy in India.

Julia Hermina Schmid was born to Reverend Herman G. Barnes and his wife, Mary Louise Hake Schmid, in Neillsville Wisconsin on January 31, 1915.[i] Waiting at home was her older sister, Helena H. Schmid Froehlich, who was three and a half years old. In 1920, the little family lived in a rental home in Rantoul, Wisconsin and her father was supporting them as a minister.[ii] The following year, 1921, Julia’s brother, Calvin H. Schmid was born.[iii]

Ten years later, in the 1930 census, Julia and her siblings are living with their father on South Street in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.[iv] At the time of the census, her mother isn’t listed but by 1932, she is again with them according to a city directory. Herman is a minister for the Reformed Church of the United States.[v] Julia and Calvin are in school but her older sister, Helena, is now out of school and working as a bookkeeper for a cheese company.[vi]

One of Julia’s interests was music and she was a member of the Girl’s Chorus of Plymouth[vii] and the Girl’s Glee Club of Plymouth High School.[viii] At 14, she was both playing and singing to entertain patients at a hospital.[ix] When she was 15, she was the accompanist for her sister’s vocal solo at a recital,[x] played the piano in an Irish program at the high school[xi] and performed in the Christmas Cantata.[xii] The next year saw her on the program for an American Legion luncheon where Julia sang patriotic songs.[xiii]

Julia graduated as valedictorian from Plymouth High School in 1932.[xiv]

HER LIFE BEFORE MILITARY

Julia stayed at home after high school, attending a local Plymouth college. She graduated from Mission House College, now Lakeland University, in 1936. That very September, she was called Miss Schmid by her students at a high school in Harvell, Illinois, where she taught math, history and not surprisingly, music.[xv] (Some documents say Harvard, Illinois – both Harvell and Harvard are towns in Illinois.)

She left teaching to further her education at Washington University School of Nursing at Barnes Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri in a three-year program. In the 1940 census, she is a student nurse living in university housing. She gained practical experience with the Visiting Nurse Association of St. Louis.[xvi]

Julia graduated June 3, 1941[xvii] and was employed as a general staff nurse.[xviii] She was also a member of the Mobile Blood Donor Unit in Saint Louis.[xix]

On June 4, 1941, Julia made a move toward Wisconsin by applying for a nursing license in her home state. It’s unknown if she did get to practice nursing in Wisconsin as the war was right around the corner.

HER MILITARY STORY

In 1942, Julia joined the war effort. She received her commission in the Army Nurse Corps on April 22, 1942. Her service number was N-732832. She was stationed in multiple locations including Williams Field, Chandler, Arizona, Pecos Army Airfield, Pecos, Texas and Camp Swift, Bastrop County, Texas.[xx]

A substantial change came for Julia when she was 29 and stationed in Arizona. She met Lt. Alfred K. Barnes Jr. of Denver, Colorado. Alfred, who enlisted in March of 1942, was stationed at the Army Air Base at Richmond, Virginia. He was a graduate of the University of Colorado and a member of the Delta Tau Delta Fraternity.[xxi]

The two were married on September 15, 1943, by a chaplain in the chapel at Fort Myers in Arlington. They visited New York and Boston on their wedding trip.[xxii] The week after the wedding, Julia, the new Mrs. Barnes, made it home to Plymouth for a four-day visit with her parents. She was the guest of honor at two celebrations, one of friends and another gathering of relatives.[xxiii]

Following her stateside service, 2nd Lt. Julia Barnes[xxiv] headed overseas in April of 1944 attached to the 69th General Hospital at Ledo, Assam, India. Her husband, Alfred, was stationed in the Philippines. Even her brother, now Lt. Calvin H. Schmid, was overseas in the Marianas with the XXI Bomber Command[xxv] and later at Yakota Army Airfield near Tokyo, Japan.[xxvi]

HER LAST DAY- March 4, 1945

On her last flight, Julia was in route from a hospital along the Ledo road to a new assignment[xxvii] in the India-Burma Theater to care for wounded in Imphal.[xxviii]

Her Douglas C-47 Skytrain (#41-18554), assigned to Air transport Command, 11th Combat Cargo Squadron,[xxix] took off from Dinjan Army Airfield in Assam, India on a mission to ferry passengers. The plane came in too low during the last turn in the process of landing and crashed. Twenty-five passengers, including Julia, plus the crew of two were killed. Most of the passengers were Army nurses and medical personnel.[xxx]

Her parents were notified by telegram. It said, “The secretary of war asks that I assure you of his deep sympathy in the loss of your daughter.”[xxxi]

She was 30 and had been married a little over five months.

COMMENDATIONS

World War II Victory Medal

Nurse Corps Badge

American Campaign Medal

Army Presidential Unit Citation

Army Good Conduct Medal

Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal[xxxii]

MEMORIALS

A monument dedicated to the men and women of Sheboygan, who sacrificed for many, was erected in 1994.[xxxiii] 2nd Lt. Julia Schmid Barnes’ name is remembered there.[xxxiv]

HER FUNERAL AND GRAVE

2nd LT. Julia Barnes was the first nurse to be killed from Sheboygan County in WWII.[xxxv] Her first funeral was held in India at the Kalaikunba Military Cemetery near Calcutta.[xxxvi] One of the men who was her pallbearer in India was Lee J. Lane of Green Bay, Wisconsin. He had been stationed at the 69th Hospital with Julia.[xxxvii] Lee J. Lane attended her funeral for a second time, this time in Wisconsin.[xxxviii]

After the war ended, her body was aboard the army transport Cardinal O’Connell. The ship arrived in Oakland, California. From there, her body went on to a Chicago distribution center.[xxxix] Under military escort, her body arrived in her hometown on June 1, 1945, about three years after her death. [xl]

Her funeral services were held on June 3, 1948, at Wittkopp Funeral Home at Plymouth. Burial was at Wildwood Cemetery in Sheboygan. A trio of women sang hymns with friends and family, from the surrounding communities, in attendance. Military rites at the grave were conducted by the Ladewig-Zinkgraf Post, No. 243, of the American Legion.[xli]

AFTER THE WAR

Both Julia’s husband, Alfred K. Barnes, and her brother, Calvin H. Schmid, returned from the war to live long lives.

LIST OF THOSE KILLED IN THE MARCH 4, 1945 LEDO, INDIA AIR CRASH

Capt. John J. Lukaszczyk, Co-Pilot
Capt. Nicholas J. Mandoukos, Pilot
1st Lt. Walter S. Amsler, Jr.
2nd Lt. Francis W. Blalock
2nd Lt. Julia S. Barnes
2nd Lt. Jane M. Blevins
2nd Lt. Evelyn M. Bruton
2nd Lt. Thomas E. Dellinger
2nd Lt. Rita F. Erard
2nd Lt. Evelyn M. Gerdrum
2nd Lt. Lyndell A. Glisson
1st Lt. Henry D. Hammack, Jr.
2nd Lt. Eathel L. Harris
2nd Lt. Helen J. Henley
1st Lt. Catherine M. Larkin
2nd Lt. Joseph R. Launier
1st Lt. Kathryn L.Lloyd
Capt. Charles W. Loucks
1st Lt. Grady A. Masters
2nd Lt. Kathryn L. McCarthy
2nd Lt. Ann L. Merrill
2nd Lt. Genevieve R. Monahan
Capt. Edward R. Moore
2nd Lt. Mayo C. Onken
Lt. Col. Jack P. Scott
Leona A. Thomey, Civilian, Red Cross
1st Lt. Robert W. Tibbetts

ABOUT THIS STORY

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project (see www.storiesbehindthestars.org). This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 400,000+ of the US WWII fallen saved on Together We Served and Fold3. Can you help write these stories? Related to this, there will be a smartphone app that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery, scan the fallen's name and read his/her story.

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