Park Will Be Named for Hero of Korean War

The city has a policy of not naming parks after people, but officials have bent the rules for an exceptional man.

The park proposed next to Irvine Civic Center will be called William E. Barber Park in honor of the 23-year resident who received a Medal of Honor for his leadership during the Korean War. The medal is the nation’s highest military award for bravery.

City Councilman Dave Christensen, who asked his colleagues to consider the honor for Barber, 77, said that he was not asking for a change in policy, just a one-time exception to a 1975 city ordinance.

“He risked his life above and beyond the call of duty,” Christensen said. “He is a great American hero. What better tribute than to name a park after him?”

During the Korean War, the 240 men of Barber’s Company F withstood repeated attacks in 30-degree-below-zero temperatures. Their tenacity held a key strip of mountain terrain and permitted the escape of thousands of American soldiers who had been surrounded.

Barber was shot in the leg during the attack, but he continued to lead his troops, giving orders as he was carried on a stretcher along the front.

Christensen didn’t have to do much persuading to get council members to accept his proposal.

Mayor Christina L. Shea said: “I think it’s a wonderful idea from a standpoint of vision. We can allow our children to grow up and know our park has a sense of history.”

Residents also showed overwhelming support for naming the park after Barber.

“In this day and time, we need real heroes and not Dennis Rodmans,” said Alan Snodgrass, a 28-year resident.

Barber, awarded the Medal of Honor in 1952 by President Harry S. Truman, said that he is honored by the city’s gesture.

“I feel surprised and pleased,” he said. “I’m pleased for myself in a sense and pleased this will be a reminder of the things I believed in and the nation I served.”