Interview with Hayden Barker

BARKER: Okay.

 

BELL: Okay, we’re good. Okay. So, what is your name?

 

BARKER: Hayden Hermann Barker.

 

BELL: When and where were you born?

 

BARKER: Junction, Texas in 1931.

 

BELL: Where did you grow up?

 

BARKER: I grew up in Sonora, Texas.

 

BELL: Um-hum, okay. And how do you define West Texas?

 

BARKER: The only place in the world to live.

 

BELL: Where does it begin?

 

BARKER: I guess when I was a little boy. I never wanted to live anywhere else.

 

BELL: What do you think the difference is between West Texans and Texans from other regions

of the state?

 

BARKER: West Texans are probably more … well-mannered.

 

BELL: I agree. Um how would you characterize West Texans’ relationship to the military?

 

BARKER: I didn’t like it at all. I don’t know about the rest of them. [Both laugh]

 

BELL: Oh gosh, okay. Um when and where did you enter in the armed forces?

 

BARKER: At Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio.

 

BELL: And which branch did you serve in?

 

BARKER: In the Army.

 

BELL: And what were your years of service?

 

BARKER: Fifty-two and ’53.

 

BELL: All right. Uh during your years of service, were you primarily in the enlisted ranks, a non-commission officer, an officer, a warrant officer?

 

BARKER: I … I wound up as a … I started out, of course, as a non-commissioned, but I wound up being a corporal at the end.

 

BELL: Really? Um in which military conflict did you take part?

 

BARKER: Korean.

 

BELL: And why did you enlist in the armed forces?

 

BARKER: I did not enlist. I was drafted.

 

BELL: Oh, really? Okay … well, then … I didn’t know that. That’s pretty cool.

 

BARKER: [Laughs]

 

BELL: I guess that’s not cool for you, but …

 

BARKER: [Laughs] No.

 

BELL: What was your training like?

 

BARKER: Uh I trained in California, and it was so cold and wet … it just seemed like it rained

every day. But that’s uh … uh I wasn’t happy. I’ll just say that.

 

BELL: Yeah. Um what were race relations like when you were enlisted? Or when you were

drafted?

 

BARKER: We were still pretty … Well, uh we had people, lot of people, coming in from the

East, and the West Texas boys just … We didn’t get along very well at all.

 

BELL: Really? Did you find … oh, wait. Were you going to say something? Were you going to say something?

 

BARKER: No.

 

BELL: Oh, okay. Did you find your service challenging?

 

BARKER: Very challenging, yes, because I didn’t like it.

 

BELL: You didn’t like it? Why?

 

BARKER: I just didn’t like for them to tell me when I could eat, when I could go to the bathroom, when to get up, when to go to bed. I just didn’t like that.

 

BELL: What conception did you have of the United States at the time of your enlistment?

 

BARKER: Well, I loved it. You know, I … yes.

 

BELL: What did America symbolize to you?

 

BARKER: Well, it’s the only place in the world to live.

 

BELL: Um-hum. What did you think it stood for?

 

BARKER: Well, I think it takes care of its people and, you know, it’s … it’s not like dictators. You kind of have a … you have a kind of say in what goes on.

 

BELL: Yeah, I agree. Um so, were you deployed overseas?

 

BARKER: In Korea.

 

BELL: Um if so, what did you understand about the mission you were being asked to complete?

 

BARKER: Uh, it was a … I really didn’t understand why we were there. Uh, I just really

didn’t understand why we were there. It was “conflict,” they said, it wasn’t a war. I just didn’t … I didn’t really understand why we were there.

 

BELL: Okay. What unit or units did you serve in during your deployment?

 

BARKER: What?

 

BELL: Say it again?

 

BARKER: Yeah.

 

BELL: Okay. What units did you serve in during your deployment?

 

BARKER: Oh, gosh …

 

BELL: If you can’t remember, that’s okay.

 

BARKER: Honey, I can’t. It’s been so long.

 

BELL: That’s okay.

 

BARKER: I can’t … I can’t remember what unit I was in.

 

BELL: Um, did you … did you serve in direct combat during your deployment?

 

BARKER: Yes, for eight months.

 

BELL: Really? What was that like? Hard?

 

BARKER: Yes, very hard and scary.

 

BELL: Scary …

 

BARKER: If somebody tells you they weren’t scared, they’re … they’re lying to you. I’ll tell you that.

 

BELL: I bet. Were you wounded in action?

 

BARKER: I was twice, but it wasn’t bad enough to get a Purple Heart. I was … I was a martyr. Shrapnel got … I got hit in the back with a … with a concussion grenade and then I got … some shrapnel hit me in the back of my leg, but it wasn’t good enough for a …

 

BELL: Wow.

 

BARKER: … for a Purple Heart.

 

BELL: Um did you become a prisoner of war?

 

BARKER: No.

 

BELL: No. That’s good. Um, what did you think of the local inhabitants that you encountered?

 

BARKER: They just really had it tough. I’m sure it’s better now, but it was just … They were … they were so far behind everybody.

 

BELL: Um, when you interacted with the local inhabitants, what did you think their conceptions

were of the United States?

 

BARKER: I felt like they were very happy we were there, I really did.

 

BELL: I imagine. Um did you ever engage them in a conversation about what America meant to

you?

 

BARKER: No.

 

BELL: Okay. How did your service influence or affect your family at home?

 

BARKER: I was single and my mother uh wrote me a letter every day I was in the service; she

never missed a day. So, I’m sure it was very hard on my parents, being the only one in the family.

 

BELL: Oh, I bet. Uh, what are your most vivid memories of your time in service?

 

BARKER: Probably the … the uh … my very best friend that I met over there, we were on

Heartbreak Ridge, and uh he came over there a couple of months after I was over there and we

became very good friends and still are. He lives in New Albany again, but we’re still very good

friends.

 

BELL: That’s awesome. What sorts of technology did you use in the service?

 

BARKER: Just the M1 rifle.

 

BELL: Um did you expect to face any challenges when you returned to civilian life?

 

BARKER: No, I did not.

 

BELL: Okay. Um did you face any challenges when you returned to civilian life?

 

BARKER: No, I did not.

 

BELL: Did being from Texas shape your years in service in any way?

 

BARKER: I think so, because we were pretty well … you know, we were … we were disciplined very well, and I think it helped. I really do. Okay, okay.

 

BELL: After your time in the military, has your conception of Texas changed?

 

BARKER: It didn’t. I was still very happy to be here.

 

BELL: Um-hum, okay. Um so, why or why not? Why or why not that your conception … Like, why did your conception not change?

 

BARKER: I guess I was just a true Texan … true … true West Texan.

 

BELL: I agree. Um after your time in the military, has your conception of the United States

changed?

 

BARKER: It didn’t, except that I just always thought we stuck our nose into some places that

we didn’t need to.

 

BELL:  Um-hum. Um how do you feel about your military service, looking back?

 

BARKER: I wouldn’t take a million for it and I wouldn’t go back for a million.

 

BELL: Really? Um do you have any advice for the young men and women who are just entering

the service?

 

BARKER: Yes. I think they need to be very disciplined, and they’ll get along a whole lot better

if they do what they… uh your senior people tell you to do.

 

BELL: Okay. And do you have any items that you wish to share with the project?

 

BARKER: No.

 

BELL: All right. And would you like to share anything else about your service?

 

BARKER: Not really. I just uh … the only thing … I just uh was so happy to get out [both laugh].