Sergeant Jack Barnes is the playable character in the Medal of Honor: Allied Assault: Spearhead expansion pack.
Biography
Early life
Volunteering for hazardous duty, Barnes was given basic training in Toccoa, Georgia. He then earned his paratrooper wings from Fort Benning and rounded out unit training at Camp McCall in North California.
Normandy
Barnes was first deployed to the frontlines as part of Operation Neptune, the Airborne's analogue to the Army's Operation Overlord. However, he landed inside a barn, scattered away from his fellow soldiers. He quickly killed several German soldiers around the house he landed in, and then set out to regroup with allies. He located three British paratroopers from the 6th Airborne Division: Their captain, known only by his callsign "Foxhound", Private Wilson and Private Galloway.
After finding some cover, the squad receives their new orders: Eliminate Colonel Hildebrandt, destroy enemy artillery emplacements and disrupt their supply lines. Barnes switched his weapons for their British equivalents, replacing his M1 Garand and Colt .45 with a Lee-Enfield and Webley revolver and taking a stack of Mills grenades and a Sten Mark V. They set out on their mission soon afterwards.
The first artillery emplacement wasn't too far from their location, hidden in a barn. Barnes and the others cleared out a few houses before destroying it. As they made their way towards the next one, they came across a sewer grate. Private Galloway set a charge on it, clearing the path. Unfortunately, he was killed shortly afterwards when they came across a house occupied by several Germans.
They soon reached a compound where the next artillery emplacement was. They cleared out the houses, and while Barnes destroyed the artillery, Wilson was sent to scout out a nearby bridge which the Germans used as a supply route. Not making it to the bridge, instead he found a rowboat they could take to cross the river.
On the other side of the river, they found a large house where Colonel Hildebrandt was located. They raided the house and cleared it out before exiting on the other side. Unfortunately, Hildebrandt escaped the house on a motor bike from the garage, and they were forced to chase after him. Luckily, he hadn't gone very far, and stopped at a house just further down the road. Fighting through the house, Barnes reached the balcony on which Hildebrandt was, and gunned him down, causing his lifeless body to go flying over the rails and land at the front of the house.
As they continued down the road, a Tiger tank spotted them, killing Private Wilson. Barnes manned the 88mm cannon he intended to destroy, and when the captain drawed its attention, destroyed it. Barnes followed by destroying the 88mm, and then he and captain then went on to destroy the bridge just before a supply train passed.
Bastogne
Later, in December 1944, Barnes was placed on the frontlines of the Battle of the Bulge, Germany's final offensive of the war. He was sent behind enemy lines with a small squad consisting of himself, a Medic, and 2 other american soldiers. Barnes and his team procured a supply truck full of rations and weapons desperately needed. They barely made it back to the frontlines with numerous Panzer tanks and Panzer-Grenadiers trailing behind them.
That night, on Christmas Eve, the Germans launched a surprise Artillery barrage in retaliation for their hijacked supplies. The Captain of the 101st encampment was wounded and Barnes was sent to find a medic in the camp. He succeeded, but the Germans then launched a mass infantry wave which the team barely managed to fend off.
That Christmas morning following, Barnes and the now revived Captain spearheaded a mass counter-attack on the weakened German forces. They succeeded in eliminating all targets, but then a Stuka dive-bomber attacked the remainder of the 101st troopers. Barnes took it out with a nearby AA-Gun.
Berlin
In April 1945, Barnes, under extremely special circumstances was put on a secret mission. He went to Berlin to perform some sabotage to ensure the Soviet Union's impending victory over Nazi Germany. After fighting through the ruins of the city, he stole vital intelligence - placement rosters and other crucial information to the Soviets - from the Chancellery before commandeering a captured Russian tank. While driving back, he was contacted by Captain Monroe, who asked him to destroy a bridge just south of his position. When he made it back, he helped the Russians hold the final bridge in a final, chaotic battle, until a Soviet dive-bomber quickly eliminated the Germans attacking the bridge, ending Jack Barnes' part in WWII.
Medals
- Awarded for: Under special circumstances, from Great Britain, for the events surrounding June 6, 1944. U.S. Sgt. Jack Barnes, along with the members of the British 6th Airborne Division, successfully dismembered enemy supply routes with extraordinary disregard for personal safety.
- Awarded for: By the Belgion Nation in grateful recognition in service against an opposing armed force. U.S. Sgt. Jack Barnes, along with his entire regiment, despite being heavily outnumbered, managed to stave off multiple enemy attacks within the surrounding area of Bastogne.
Medal for the Capture of Berlin
- Awarded for: Under extremely special circumstances by the Soviet Red Army. U.S. Sgt. Jack Barnes, with complete disregard for personal safety, confronted hostile armed forces and managed to secure vital documents attributable to saving the lives of thousands of Soviet nationals.
- Awarded for: Heroic and meritorious achievement of service in connection with operations against opposing armed forces on April 30, 1945. Sgt. Jack Barnes, 501st PIR, successfully completed a challenging tour of duty in the European Theater of Operations.
- Awarded for: Gallantry in action against an opposing armed force on April 30, 1945. Sgt. Jack Barnes, 501st PIR, successfully completed a tremendously difficult tour of duty in the European Theater of Operations.
- Awarded for: Extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an opposing force on April 30th, 1945.. Sgt. Jack Barnes, 501st PIR, successfully completed a tremendously difficult tour of duty in the European Theater of Operations.
Trivia
- Barnes is voiced by Gary Oldman, making him the first playable protagonist that is not silent.
- Barnes does not speak in-game, but he speaks in the beginning of each missions (and in the ending). He can also be heard reciting poems in the end of every mission. The poems include "The Hills of Bastogne" by Bernard J. McKearny and "That Something" by Ronald Tee.
- Despite sharing the same last name, he is NOT related with Barnes.