Colonel William Barber
Today’s Feel Good Friday story is guaranteed to make you feel good. This story tells of an athlete, probably not the most noted one we have ever written about, but one of our own who became a national hero.
Born November 30, 1919 at Dehart, near West Liberty, Kentucky, William Barber attended high school as a freshman and possibly as a sophomore at Wrigley High School. Information on his time there is a bit sketchy. He then went to West Liberty High School to play basketball as a Red Devil, as they were nicknamed up until becoming Blue Devils in the 1944-45 season. It is not certain if he had played for the Wrigley Raiders.
How well he played basketball is unknown as the record books for his high school days don’t divulge much individual info. Estimating his junior and senior years, my guess is he graduated about 1938 since records show he went on to Morehead State Teachers College for two years before dropping out to join the marines in 1940.
According to West Liberty’s 1937 records, they were runners-up to Frenchburg in the 60th District Tournament and got to play in the 15th Regional tournament, where they were defeated in their first game by Inez (52-21). In 1938 West Liberty drew a bye and again lost to eventual District Tournament champs Frenchburg, 39-22.
One ex-marine told me he thought Barber had played basketball at Morehead but a family member said she was unsure if he had. It can’t be verified. The family member said he had played at Wrigley for the Raiders. Wrigley merged in with West Liberty after the 1936-37 season, but was unsure if he played after going on to West Liberty.
This article is not so much about his athletic background as it is his war record that made him a National hero.
In WWll : Barber was wounded two times at Iwo Jima . He was awarded the Silver Star and two Purple Hearts for his actions on Iwo Jima in which “he disregarded his own wounds and directed enemy fire to rescue two wounded Marines from enemy territory.”
In the Korean War: At Chosin Reservoir in the Korean War Barber (then captain) and his company of 220 men held off more than 1,400 People’s Republic of China soldiers during six days of fighting in North Korea. Despite the extreme cold weather conditions (30 below zero) and a bullet wound to the leg, Barber refused evacuation and an order for his company to withdraw from their mountain pass defensive position which was surrounded. Barber, aware that leaving would cause 8,000 Marines of his division to be trapped in North Korea, held the position with his men, killing over 1,000 enemy troops; only 82 of his men were able to walk away after eventually being relieved.
According to one account, his company was running low on ammunition and requested more, using the code words “Tootsie Rolls.” The new guy who took the radio request was unfamiliar but sent word they had to have them. Real Tootsie Rolls (candy) were dropped for the men, who found the sugar in them gave more energy as they were also running out of food. It played a big part in saving a lot of men’s lives.
Vietnam: In 1969, he was ordered to Vietnam where he served his last tour of duty as a Psychological Operations Officer, III Marine Amphibious Force, Military Assistance Command, Vietnam. For his service in this capacity, he was awarded the Legion of Merit with Combat “V.”
The former basketball player from Morgan County was a true American hero in three Wars. He is a Medal of Honor winner. He was awarded two Purple Hearts and a Silver Star as well as the ones mentioned previously.
Colonel William Barber died of cancer on April 19, 2002 in Irvine, California, where he made his home after retirement. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. A statue honoring him stands in West Liberty. A picture of that statue accompanies this article.
From The Lexington Herald-Leader, July 04, 2015 in a story by John Flavell: The statue represents the moment Barber had to tell his men they weren’t leaving. ( In the Korean War at “The Frozen Chosin.”) With a bullet lodged in his pelvis, Barber is leaning on a crutch made from a branch, raising a rifle above his head. Morehead sculptor and former Marine Stephen Tirone, who was commissioned to cast the 650-pound statue, said that “that particular moment seemed to be, without a doubt, the moment that had to be captured in bronze.” The moment when he had to tell his men ‘We will hold. And we’re going to pay for it.’
Morehead State offers students from Morgan County a scholarship in honor of Col. Barber, appropriately called the “Col. William E. Barber Scholarship.”
NOTE: Steve Tirone, who is the talented sculptor of Colonel Barber’s statue, also did the bronze statue of “King” Kelly Coleman that stands in front of our MSHOF Hall of Fame at the Wayland. gymnasium. Mr. Tirone, a treasure himself, recently retired.
