By Ens. Trent Prince, Naval Air Station Pensacola
PENSACOLA, Fla. – Retired U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Clyde “Cash” Barber celebrated his 102nd birthday May 5 at the National Naval Aviation Museum (NNAM) onboard Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola.
“It’s been a long journey, and it’s been a blessed journey,” said Barber. “I’m proud to have this many people here to celebrate with me. I’m very honored.”
Barber, a veteran of World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, has been a dedicated volunteer at the NNAM for over a decade. He said that he spends every Tuesday sharing his experiences with visitors in front of a PBY-5 Catalina aircraft—the same model he served on during World War II.
“What a blessing this place is, it’s really my second home,” said Barber. “I’ve been coming out here for 12 years now and I hope I never miss any days.”
Barber enlisted in the Navy in May 1941 at the age of 17. He served as a flight engineer on Catalina patrol bombers in the Pacific theater during World War II, participating in missions from Midway to the Philippines. After the war, he continued his service and retired in 1971 after he rose to the rank of lieutenant commander.
The birthday celebration took place on the Cabot Flight deck of the museum with family, friends and museum visitors and staff. NNAM Foundation President and Chief Executive Officer retired U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Kyle Cozad praised Barber’s commitment to service and education at the museum.
“Cash has been a dear friend for many years. It has been an opportunity to celebrate what I often talk about; common people who do uncommon things,” said Cozad. “He is the reason why people flock to this museum. It’s not to see the airplanes that are beautifully restored, it’s to hear stories about the heroes who created this great nation and our great Navy.”
Located onboard historic NAS Pensacola, the National Naval Aviation Museum is one of the largest aviation museums in the world. With the mission to “select, collect, preserve and display historic artifacts related to the history of Naval Aviation,” the NNAM is open daily for visitors from 9 a.m. through 3 p.m.
NAS Pensacola, known as the “Cradle of Naval Aviation”, has been a part of the Gulf Coast community for 200 years and serves as a strategic asset in regional emergency readiness. Along with numerous aviation and cyber warfare training activities, NAS Pensacola maintains an operational airfield and deepwater port, preserving U.S. Armed Forces operational platforms.