Boy Scout Randy Barnes, 17, who is working to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout, stands in front of a reconstructed wall of honor that pays tribute to Plumsted residents who have served in the U.S. armed forces. A teenager who is working to attain the rank of Eagle Scout recently dedicated a project that honors residents who have served in the nation’s armed forces.
On Nov. 14, Randy Barnes, 17, the son of Liz and Bruce Barnes, was joined by members of American Legion Post 455, Plumsted officials and his fellow scouts for the unveiling of a new honor roll sign that stands in front of the post’s headquarters on Meadowbrook Lane.
The sign is inscribed with the names of Plumsted residents who have served in various branches of the United States military.
“I have known Randy for four years and he has always been a tremendous asset to Troop 9,” New Egypt Boy Scout Troop 9 Scoutmaster Tom Potter said. “His project was a great undertaking and the completed honor roll sign shows great respect to the veterans who have served and are now serving our country.”
Barnes said the previous honor roll was rotting. Troop 9 meets in a building behind the American Legion post and Barnes said he would regularly pass the decaying sign without giving it a second thought.
“Eventually, I realized (the honor roll) was not as good as it could be,” the young man said. “I decided I wanted to fix it and make it better for our veterans.”
After receiving the go-ahead from the American Legion post, Barnes spent between 30 and 40 hours designing the new sign with his father and meeting with the post’s members to make certain it would meet their standards.
“When I started (the project), I wasn’t too confident … and I was nervous that it would not be up to a good standard,” Barnes said.
To ensure the new honor roll will stand the test of time, the sign was primed and painted with waterproof paint. The panels featuring the names of Plumsted residents who have served America were done in vinyl.
Barnes said he conducted research after he learned there were names missing or listed under the wrong war on the previous honor roll. To ensure everyone was accounted for on his project, he worked with members of the American Legion and reviewed the organization’s records of past members.
“In one instance there was a service member listed and we did not know if the last name was Haven or Havens, so we went to neighbors we knew with similar last names,” the young man said. “I ended up finding out the individual in question was a cousin of theirs who had served.”
In the end, more than a dozen names of servicemen dating back to World War II were added to the honor roll that had not been listed before. One name added was a recent New Egypt High School student. The project will be reviewed by the Boy Scouts as Barnes pursues the rank of Eagle Scout.