News Pilot San Pedro, Ca. Sep 1, 1944 Pfc Olen Eugene Barnes was born June 22, 1924 in Hartford, Sebastian Co., Ar. to Hosea Lee "Hozie" & Ola Doris McCafferty Barnes . Pfc Barnes married Mary Alice Wynn in California in 1943. He was a carpenter by trade. Pfc Barnes enlisted in the US Army 21 of July, 1943 in Los Angeles, Calif., being assigned to the 22nd Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division. Pfc Barnes died 3 Dec 1944 in Hurtgen Forest, in vicinity of Gey, Germany. His Hospital Admission Card says Deep structures of neck; Causative Agent: Bullet He was buried at the Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery, burial plot E Row 9 Grave 28 in Henri-Chapelle, Beligium Pfc Olen Eugene Barnes was awarded the Purple Heart. Battle of Hurtgen Forest By Robert S. Rush On 16 November 1944, the 4th Infantry Division attacked into the Hurtgen Forest as one of the ten divisions participating in Operation Queen, a combined offensive by the First and Ninth U.S. Armies to seize the Rhine River crossings into Germany. As one of the infantry regiments of the 4th Division, the 22d Infantry spent 18 days in November and early December 1944 in the Hurtgen Forest. In a battle many believed mattered little in the big picture, the 22d suffered 2,773 casualties, or 85% of its normal complement of 3,257 soldiers, to take one village and 6,000 yards of forest. Each rifle company went into action averaging 162 soldiers. Seven days later the rifle companies averaged 87. Even this number required 42% replacements. By the end of the battle, losses of the rifle companies reached an estimated 151% of their original strength.