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A local Navy veteran recalls when he received a “dolphin pin” and a tattoo — all on the same night.
It was 1958, and Jerry Barber had returned from a trip to Pearl Harbor. He had just been promoted and was qualified as a submariner.
Jerry Barber’s story is included in museum’s display
Military tattoos bring back memories
- By Dawn Feldhaus
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March 26, 2013 12:00 am
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![Jerry Barber, of Camas, shows the tattoo he reluctantly received 55 years ago. He served in the Navy for four years. "My shipmates got me drunk and said, 'you're going to wear your dolphins forever,'" Barber said. "The tattoo was clearer [back then]."](https://origin.camaspostrecord.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/0326_loc_Jerry_Barber_tattoo.jpg)
Jerry Barber, of Camas, shows the tattoo he reluctantly received 55 years ago. He served in the Navy for four years. "My shipmates got me drunk and said, 'you're going to wear your dolphins forever,'" Barber said. "The tattoo was clearer [back then]."
When Jerry Barber wears either of these hats, people ask him about submarines. He was on the USS Carp for 2 years, followed by almost six months on a nuclear-powered submarine, the Robert E. Lee. Barber, 74, is the oldest veteran involved in an exhibit at the Clark County Historical Museum. "Most of them have more tattoos than I do," he said.
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