THAN
THAN A
THAN A YEAR AGO AND HE WANTS YOU TO KNOW HIM TOO.
>> Reporter: I FIRST MET ROBIN
AND SAID THE VETERANS HOME IN
LEBANON.
LEBANON.
LEBANON. HE WAS HAPPY, STRONG, AND A
REAL CHARACTER.
REAL CHARACTER. THE FUN CONTINUED.
EVEN AT 94 WHEN HE PARACHUTED
LAST SUMMER.
LAST SUMMER. HE HAS LIVED ENOUGH FOR TWO
LIFETIMES.
LIFETIMES. >> I MET A PLACE IN MY LIFE
WERE MOST PEOPLE DON'T GET A
CHANCE TO MEET FIVE PRESIDENTS
OF THE UNITED STATES.
>> Reporter: INCLUDING HIS
YEARS OF SERVICE IN WORLD WAR
II.
II.
II. >>
II. >> I
II. >> I GOT STORIES TO TELL UNTIL
FREEZES OVER.
FREEZES OVER. >> Reporter: HE WAS 17 WHEN THE
JAPANESE ATTACKED PEARL HARBOR.
HIS MOTHER ALLOWED HIM TO JOIN
THE MARINES.
THE MARINES. JUST A FEW MONTHS LATER, HE WAS
LEARNING TO JUMP OUT OF
AIRPLANES.
AIRPLANES. HE BARELY SURVIVED THE
TRAINING.
TRAINING.
TRAINING. ON THE VERY FIRST FLIGHT,
INSTRUCTORS WOULD TEST THE
MARINES TO SEE IF THEY WOULD
REALLY JUMP, CATCHING THEM JUST
BEFORE THEY LEFT OF THE PLANE.
>> MY TURN CAME, HIT AN AIR
POCKET, THEY MISSED ME AND I
WAS GONE.
WAS GONE.
WAS GONE. WITH NO INSTRUCTIONS ABOUT WHAT
TO DO OR HOW TO DO IT OR A DANG
THING.
THING.
THING. >>
THING. >> Reporter: HE SURVIVED AND
BECAME A MORTAR MAN.
ONE DAY IN COMBAT, IT SAVED HIS
LIFE.
LIFE.
LIFE. >>
LIFE. >> I WOULD 82 POUNDS, SOLID
STEEL.
STEEL.
STEEL. AT
STEEL. AT THE END OF THE DAY SOMEBODY
VERY POLITELY SAID TO ME, ROB,
WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR BASE
FLIGHT?
FLIGHT?
FLIGHT? NOTHING HAPPENED TO MY BASIC
FLIGHT.
FLIGHT.
FLIGHT. I
FLIGHT. I SUGGEST YOU FLIP IT OVER AND
TAKE A LOOK AT THE BOTTLE AND
YOU CAN SEE WHERE A MACHINE GUN
HAD WALKED RIGHT ACROSS THAT
SUCKER.
SUCKER.
SUCKER. I
SUCKER. I MEAN, CLOSE, YEAH.
LOTS OF CLOSE ONES.
I SURVIVED THE WHOLE THING A
BUNCH OF THEM.
>> Reporter: 74 YEARS AGO HE
WAS PART OF THE USS ASSAULT OF
IWO JIMA.
IWO JIMA.
IWO JIMA. HE WAS A HEAVILY FORTIFIED
ISLAND.
ISLAND.
ISLAND. >> I HAVE NEVER SEEN THAT MANY
NAVAL CRAFT IN MY LIFE
ANYWHERE.
ANYWHERE.
ANYWHERE. >> Reporter: IT PROVED A
TERRIBLE FIGHT 2400 MARINES
KILLED.
KILLED.
KILLED. >> EVERYONE WAS SCARED.
I DID NOT FIND AN ATHEIST
ANYWHERE.
ANYWHERE.
ANYWHERE. THEY WERE IN SHORT NUMBER IF
THERE WERE ANY AT ALL.
IT WAS ALL, SAVE ME GOD, GOD,
SAVE ME, PLEASE.
>> Reporter: HE WENT ON TO A
SUCCESSFUL LIFE AS A SALESMAN
AND LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL
COACH.
COACH.
COACH. >>
COACH. >> I WANTED TO BE ONE OF THE
BOYS.
BOYS.
BOYS. I
BOYS. I WANTED TO PLAY HARDBALL AND
TITLE IX HAD NOT COME AROUND,
SO I COULDN'T.
BUT I WAS OUT THERE ON THE
PRACTICE FIELD.
PRACTICE FIELD. >> Reporter: ROBIN AND HIS LIFE
HAD FOUR KIDS, THREE BOYS AND
THEIR BABY GIRL DANA.
SHE RUSHED FROM THE VETERANS
HOME FROM HER HOUSE THIS PAST
WEEK.
WEEK.
WEEK. HER
WEEK. HER FATHER HAD CAUGHT THE
CORONAVIRUS.
CORONAVIRUS. >> YOU KNOW, THE GUY HAS JUST
DODGED THE BULLET SO MANY TIMES
WITH THINGS.
WITH THINGS. THAT'S WHAT EVERYBODY WAS KIND
OF -- ESPECIALLY US.
WE WERE HOPEFUL THAT HE HAS
BEEN THROUGH SO MUCH, MAYBE HE
CAN GET TO THIS ONE, TOO
>> Reporter: SOON AFTER THE
VIRUS INVADED THE U.S., THE
SCHOOL STOPPED ONE OF HIS
FAVORITE ACTIVITIES.
FAVORITE ACTIVITIES. VISITING WITH THE SCHOOLKIDS.
HE TOLD ME ALL ABOUT IT.
>> THEY WILL GREET ME ANY WAY
POSSIBLE, THEY REALLY WILL.
AND IT IS FUN.
>> I AM LIKE, SERIOUSLY DEAD.
THEY ARE PROTECTING YOU AND THE
CHILDREN.
CHILDREN.
CHILDREN. THAT WAS REALLY HARD ON HIM.
HE LOVED HIS KIDS AND THE KIDS
LOVED HIM AND THE TEACHERS AND
THE PRINCIPAL.
THE PRINCIPAL. THEY ARE ALL SO SAD NOW.
>> Reporter: LAST WEEK, DANA
LIKE SO MANY FAMILY MEMBERS
VISITED THEIR FATHER FOR THE
WINDOW OF HIS BEDROOM.
>> TO HAVE A PIECE OF GLASS
BETWEEN YOU AND HIM, AND HE HAD
A GREAT ROOM, BUT THE SUN
GLARED IN THAT WINDOW ALL DAY
LONG.
LONG.
LONG. SO
LONG. SO I AM LIKE GOING -- UP UNTIL
HE WAS REALLY BEDRIDDEN AND
COULD NOT COMMUNICATE, I THINK
UP UNTIL SATURDAY I THINK I WAS
STILL GETTING HIM TO -- I COULD
POUND AND WAITED HIM AND HE
WOULD GIVE ME A SMILE AND IT
WAS LIKE OH YEAH, YOU ARE STILL
THERE, DAD.
THERE, DAD. >> Reporter: EARLIER THIS WEEK
HE TOOK A TURN FOR THE WORST
AND PASSED AWAY TUESDAY AT THE
VETERANS HOME.
VETERANS HOME. SHE WILL MISS THE NIGHTLY
RITUAL HER DAD USED TO CALL
EVERY NIGHT BETWEEN 6:00 AND
7:00.
7:00.
7:00. >>
7:00. >> YOU KNOW, YEAH.
I THINK AFTER I GET BACK TO
PORT ANGELES IS WHEN IT'S
REALLY GOING TO HIT ME.
>> Reporter: ROBIN BARRETT
LIVED TO THE AGE OF 95.
A FULL LIFE THAT ENDED TOO
EARLY BECAUSE OF THE VIRUS.
>> HE WAS AN AMAZING MAN.
PEOPLE THAT MET HIM EVEN FOR
ONE DAY HE IMPACTED THEIR LIFE
AND JUST HAD THIS ATTACHMENT TO
HIM.
HIM.
HIM. BECAUSE OF JUST WHO HE IS.
NO ONE CAN BE REPLACED, BUT
THAT MAN WAS REALLY SPECIAL.
JUST A REALLY SPECIAL MAN.
>> Reporter: THINKS TO DANA FOR
SHARING HER MEMORIES OF HER
DAD.
DAD.
DAD. WE
DAD. WE WOULD LIKE TO