Born to Serve, Upholding a Family’s Legacy
From the time Charles Shannon Barnette was a youngster, he
dreamed of one day having his picture added to the family’s
wall of fame, a place of honor in his grandmother’s home
with pictures of relatives in uniform who served in the United
States Military or Fire Service. “My whole family has been in
the military, from my great grandfather, who served in the Army
during World War I, to my grandfather, Charles Carter Barnette
who was in the Navy during World War II on multiple ships in the
was in the Navy and completed two tours of duty in Vietnam,
“I come from a military family of aunts, uncles and cousins who
also have served in the Navy. I guess you can say it’s how we
were genetically built,” stated Barnette passionately.
With such a heavy military presence in his family, one would
think Barnette’s career path was clear cut, but it was not. “My
grandfather’s brother was in the Navy and was Fire Chief of
the Phenix City, Alabama Fire Department, which I felt was
pretty cool,” stated Barnette. “In addition, I was also intrigued
a couple of blocks from my grandmother’s home in East Point
Georgia where I spent a lot of time growing up,” said Barnette.
completely mesmerized as I saw them whiz by, geared up and
clinging to their trucks as they ran calls. I would also go to the
got me thinking, ‘I would like to do that someday.’” Decades
later, Barnette seized that chance, joining the Jonesboro Fire
Department in 1995, which today is Clayton County Fire and
28 | January 2020 | Real Hero Report
Emergency Services. Two years later in September 1997, he
joined the City of East Point Fire Department, where today he
serves as a Lieutenant.
September 11, however, changed that. “Like every American
I felt compelled to want to act, to do something to defend this
nation, given the events that unfurled that day,” said Barnette. “I
was 38-years-old, and thought I won’t go active, but perhaps I
stand a chance in being accepted into the National Guard,” said
Barnette. “So, I went to the Georgia National Guard, but was
told ‘You’re too old’ because the cutoff age at the time was 32 in
Georgia. However, I countered with, ‘But I really want to do this.
I’m really wanting to do something to stand up as an American,’”
said Barnette. His impassioned plea resulted in the Recruiter
instructing him to go to Alabama, which he did. “I talked to the
National Guard in Alabama. They said, ‘We’ll take you.’ The
cutoff age was 40 at the time. So, I said, ‘Sign me up,’ and they
did,” stated Barnette.
Barnette said he faced challenges training at age 38 forwhich
were that I had lived life,” explained Barnette. “A lot of it is
the military breaking you down in the beginning. What they are
breaking down and cutting through are habits and behaviors of 18
and 19-year-old kids that have lived at home with mom and dad.
And so, they work to break through all of that. But once that’s
done, the rebuilding process begins, to get you where the military
wants you,” stated Barnette. “This is how soldiers come to respect