The Barker brothers — Hal, left, and Ted. Photo by Renee Umsted.
Longtime East Dallas neighbors Hal and Ted Barker are often in the news when issues around White Rock Lake come up.
But they have another passion. Many years ago, the Barkers started researching the Korean War, which is sometimes called the “Forgotten War.” And it is for that work that they have been spotlighted in an article included in Texas Monthly‘s August issue. Online, its title is “The Korean War Memorial’s New Wall of Remembrance Appears to Forget Hundreds of U.S. Casualties”; in the print edition, the story is titled “Forgotten No More.”
Their father, Edward L. Barker, was a lieutenant colonel in the Marines and a Korean War veteran. Awarded the Silver Star, Barker was reluctant to share much of his wartime experiences with his sons, the Barkers tell Texas Monthly.
They didn’t lose curiosity. On Feb. 15, 1995, they went live with a website, Korean War Project, that includes photos, documents, maps and other information regarding the Korean War and the people who fought in it. Korean War Project, which has grown and developed over time, is also a nonprofit organization.
In addition, the Barkers have become advocates for Korean War veterans and their families and spent countless hours trying to get various government branches to correct errors, including those made in official war memorials.
All of that and more is detailed in the Texas Monthly piece.
