05.04.06 – By Troy Ondrizek: Nick, please forgive me for the belated praise, for you are more worthy of it, than this simple writer can give. It has been almost a month since the passing of the former world title challenger, and I just found out about the news. I have decided to share with you that lack knowledge of Carmine Barone, a little glimpse of what greatness truly is. So you may ask; who is he, and why is he so great? If you don’t know the answers to those questions, then you are a little poorer inside than you need to be..
Sadly enough the best way to learn about Carmine and other great men like him, is to pick-up your local paper and turn to the obituary section, and there you will find the last comments on the many who served us so bravely in WWII. What is commonly known in the states “as the greatest generation” is slowly disappearing from us; taken away by father-time and God’s grace. These men who fought against tyranny and for our freedom, that gave us more than we can fathom, are becoming memories that will die along with them. We can never forget, for if we do, than we ourselves shall inherently be forgotten.
Carmine “Nick” Barone hailed from Syracuse, New York. At the ripe old age of sixteen, Carmine followed his call of duty and enlisted in the Marines; by forging documents using his older brother’s (Nick) birth Certificate. He served as a marine throughout the war, fighting in the Pacific theater, and fighting at Iwo Jima. It was this no-nonsense, no-fear, gritty attitude he learned while starring down the enemy, that helped create success for him in the ring.
Now Barone wasn’t one of the most skilled fighters of his time, but he had guts and intestinal fortitude to easily compensate for what he lacked in raw ability. Even though he wasn’t as refined as his most famous foe Ezzard Charles was, but Barone knew how to handle himself, and garnered some quality victories over Tommy Yarosz, and Jimmy Beau. He hung in tough with the likes of Lee Oma and Bob Satterfield. It was after defeating Beau that Barone landed the fight of his lifetime, a title shot against newly crowned undisputed heavyweight king Ezzard Charles in December of 1950. It was supposed to be an easy first defense of his belt, but Charles ran into a very game Nick Barone, and Barone gave him hell for ten rounds; even fighting through an eye injury. However, in the eleventh round Barone was floored for the first time in his entire career, and he never lasted the round. Nick didn’t do much more in boxing afterwards, he lost four of his last fives bouts. Barone’s career only spanned six years. However, he compiled a respectable record of 44-12-1 with 21KO’s.
Carmine was the epitome of an American. He was tough, resourceful, and diligent. His fighting style was the embodiment of what makes a lesser skilled man immortal, someone like a Mickey Ward. Even though Barone came short of his world championship aspirations, he was not a failure. He fought for a lot more than a world title, or recognition. He fought for me. My family was able to escape Hitler’s Fascism, and then communism to come to America, and he helped secure my freedom. I cannot thank him, or the other millions that served enough. So many veterans are dying, and their voices will no longer be heard. That loss is greater than any felt in the ring. When Carmine Barone died, yes we lost a former fighter whose blip on boxing’s radar was a loss to Ezzard Charles. However, we lost so much more than that, a fighter for humanity and someone that shall not be overlooked. For his contribution to us is much greater than the sport he and we love, it is in our every day lives.
I am reminded of when I was back in college, and I was studying political history; I was forced to read political cartoons. One I remember vividly, I in-fact still have it on my walls. It is an old man and a young man sitting together on a bench in Arlington National Cemetery; two young kids are playing around them, running onto the gravesites of fallen soldiers. The young man turns to the older man and says “I’m sorry, for they do not know the trials and suffering you endured in that war” and the old man simply responded “exactly”. So I say thank you Carmine Barone for being simply great and for bearing my burdens, you didn’t have to, but you never asked why, you just did; thank you.
On a similar sad note; yesterday a respected friend of mine was laid to rest in the Chattanooga National Cemetery. His name was Desmond Doss. Desmond was the only conscientious objector to ever be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. Doss refused to carry a gun in war, and ended up saving 75 men form certain death, by his brave acts of rushing onto the battle field, and carrying off the wounded men.
I came in contact with this great man while studying history at a small Christian college just outside of Chattanooga Tennessee. Doss would often come over and speak with us regarding his war experiences, and how his faith carried him through. He would always talk and spread his wisdom to us. He was a man in which there is no equal. I will miss Desmond, for he had a profound impact of my life. Desmond Doss and Carmine Barone are gone, but thankfully for us, they left their mark in many positive ways. I once again cannot thank men like them enough for giving me what I have. Desmond Doss, Carmine Barone, gentlemen; R.I.P.