Col. W. Earl Barber, 82

Veteran of 3 wars earned Medal of Honor in Korea

April 29, 2002|By Los Angeles Times.

Col. W. Earl Barber, who was awarded the Medal of Honor during a military career that spanned four decades and three wars in Asia, died in his Irvine, Calif., home Friday of complications from liver failure and bone marrow cancer, a family spokesman said.

Col. Barber, 82, was awarded the United States' highest military honor after leading his troops to defend a key pass near the Chosin Reservoir during one of the epic battles of the Korean War, despite being wounded in the leg.

Col. Barber's company held a strip of mountain terrain near the reservoir, close to China's border, allowing about 8,000 of his fellow soldiers to escape an ambush by the Chinese army.

The battle ranks in Marine history with World War II's fights over the Pacific islands of Iwo Jima and Guadalcanal.

Known to friends as "The Colonel," Col. Barber first saw combat in the Pacific in World War II near the beginning of a career that lasted 30 years. It was his service in the Korean War that brought him the most attention.

Born on a Kentucky farm, Col. Barber joined the Marine Corps at 20. He spent the first part of World War II as a weapons instructor at mainland bases, then went to the Pacific theater in 1944 as a first lieutenant leading a platoon.

Col. Barber's actions in World War II earned him the Silver Star for bravery and the Purple Heart for wounds.

Col. Barber was promoted to captain before being assigned to the 1st Marine Division in Korea in October 1950.

In November 1950, Col. Barber and 220 Marines in his company were among a contingent of Marines near the Chosin Reservoir when it was ambushed by the Chinese army, which was joining the war on the side of the North Koreans.

For thousands of U.S. troops, the only escape was through a narrow pass that Col. Barber's company was ordered to defend.

Outnumbered at least 10 to 1, Col. Barber's troops withstood repeated assaults over five days. At one point, he received orders to pull back but asked permission to try to hold out.

At the end of the battle, only 82 Marines under his command could walk away.

Col. Barber was awarded the Legion of Merit for service in Vietnam before retiring as a full colonel in 1970.

Col. Barber is survived by his wife, Ione; a son, a daughter and three grandchildren.