Melissa Rose Barnes was born in November 1973 in Whittier, California, and later made her home in Redlands, California.
She began her military service in May 1992 when she joined the U.S. Navy as a naval corpsman, serving at the Naval Hospital in Portsmouth, Virginia. Afterward, she completed communications training in Mississippi.
Although she left the Navy in 1997, Barnes felt a strong desire to return to service and re-enlisted in March 1999 as a yeoman third class. She was subsequently assigned to an administrative position at the Telecommunications Center within the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations at the Pentagon.
Barnes was on duty at the Pentagon on the morning of September 11, 2001. At 9:37 a.m., while chatting with a friend about weekend plans, American Airlines Flight 77 struck the building. Tragically, she was among the 125 people inside the Pentagon who lost their lives. She was just 27 years old and only weeks away from beginning her first sea duty assignment.
Friends and family remember Barnes for her vibrant personality and sense of humor. Known as the “class and family clown,” she was cherished for her playful spirit and enthusiasm for life. Her mother, Linda Sheppard, described her as “outgoing and bubbly, always up for a good time.”
In recognition of her service and ultimate sacrifice, Barnes was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, Navy Commendation Medal, Navy Good Conduct Medal, and National Defense Service Medal. She is laid to rest at Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, California, and her name is inscribed on Panel S-72 of the National September 11 Memorial in New York City.
