Two local men who said they were best friends of 1st Lt. Leevi Khole Barnard reflected on their friend’s life Saturday.

Barnard, 28, of Ararat, Va., was killed Thursday in a roadside bombing in Baghdad Thursday.

“We were the three Amigos,” said David Marvin of Mount Airy. “If you saw one of us, you saw all three of us.”

The third member of their trio was Brian Donithan, of Flat Rock. Donithan knew a little bit about what Barnard would be getting into when Barnard was deployed to Iraq, having served there in 2006 with the 113th Field Artillery Unit based in Winston-Salem.

“He (Barnard) and I were best friends since we were 16,” Donithan said. “I’m actually the one who got him to enlist. We enlisted together.”

Donithan said the two were attending Surry Community College at the time, when an army recruiter approached him about joining. “I said ‘Let me talk to a buddy of mine, see what he says,’” Donithan said. “If he says yes, I’ll go. If he says no, I won’t.” He broached the subject with Barnard over the next couple of days, and soon both were signing up.

“That’s the way it was with us. If one of us said yes to something, we both said yes. If one said no, it was both of us saying no.”

Donithan said even though it was five years after the fact, the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 were the motivating factors behind their decision. “We talked about it all the time,” he said. After the army recruiter spoke with them, Donithan said the two felt it was time for a decision.

“If you want to talk about it, be about it,” he said of their mindset in joining the military.

Soon after entering basic training they were separated. Donithan went on and served in Iraq in 2006, while Barnard returned to college, finishing his political science degree before going into officer’s training.

“We tried to serve together. He wanted to go with me, but he would lose his spot in ROTC. He decided to stay and finish his ROTC. I tried to go with him. I would have gone a second tour,” Donithan said. Donithan said once Barnard was given his orders to serve, and it became clear Donithan would not be allowed to serve with his friend, he did not re-enlist, so he is no longer on active duty.

Marvin said the friendship between the three began more than a decade ago. They met while attending church at New Hope Baptist in Dobson and became fast friends while playing church softball.

“We played on the team together, then we played open league together. Me and him and Brian, we became real close and we were just always together.”

Marvin, who is married and has children, did not serve in the military, but said he knew his friend had found his calling there. “Leevi loved it. He knew he was going to be commissioned, he had a four-year degree, he couldn’t wait, he was wanting to go (to Iraq).”

Marvin said he learned of Barnard’s death Thursday, when a relative of Barnard called Marvin.

“I was crushed,” Marvin said. “I was at work, in a store, and I just doubled over...saying ‘no, no.’”

Marvin then called the third member of their trio.

“I’m heartbroken,” Donithan said. “Devastated. He was my brother. When you lose somebody so close, you don’t want to believe it. ...it just crushes you, especially knowing that you went one time and you came back, and he’s not.”

Donithan said he has spoken with the family, but hasn’t heard anything since military officials were due in Friday afternoon to meet with the relatives. Barnard’s family declined to be interviewed, and a woman answering the telephone at one of his relative’s homes said the family “wasn’t ready to talk yet.”

Donithan said the past few days have been tough. “You sit there looking through old pictures, you see him with your nephew ... holding your niece. It’s tough.”

Marvin and Donithan said they want everyone to know what kind of man their friend was.

“Leevi ... was just a great guy,” Donithan said. “He loved everyone he met. He thought about everyone else before he thought about himself.”

“He and his dog would come over here and hang out half the night, just sitting around the bonfire talking,” Marvin said. “He would come over and play horseshoes, play with the kids...Leevi was smart, he was always smiling, always fun. He was just a good guy to be around. And, he had the greatest laugh in the world. My wife said that’s what we might miss most, his laugh.

“He was just a great, great guy.”

Contact John Peters at jpeters@mtairynews.com or at 719-1931.