Cpl. Raymond Arthur Barker, #480082
3rd Platoon, Company C, 1st Corps Medium Tank Battalion.
Reported as Missing In Action 11/20/43
Corporal Barker was about to turn 23 years old when he took part to the terrible battle of Tarawa.
Raymond Barker was born on December 20th, 1920, in Walworth County, Wisconsin, a typical US farming county. His father, Harley C. Barker, was a farmer in those days and his mother, Hazel B. Barker, was a "farmer's wife" explains Philip Wright, Raymond Barker's nephew. "She always rose at about 4:30 in the morning and began to cook." That's what farmers wives did in the traditional US country life, for many generations.
Their living conditions were good, remembers Philip, who met Raymond but was too young to remember him. Philip lived with his Raymond Barker's parents during four years after the war and shared their daily life. "I can still remember awakening in the morning to the wonderful smells coming from the kitchen".
Raymond Barker was born on December 20th, 1920, in Walworth County, Wisconsin, a typical US farming county. His father, Harley C. Barker, was a farmer in those days and his mother, Hazel B. Barker, was a "farmer's wife" explains Philip Wright, Raymond Barker's nephew. "She always rose at about 4:30 in the morning and began to cook." That's what farmers wives did in the traditional US country life, for many generations.
Their living conditions were good, remembers Philip, who met Raymond but was too young to remember him. Philip lived with his Raymond Barker's parents during four years after the war and shared their daily life. "I can still remember awakening in the morning to the wonderful smells coming from the kitchen".
Raymond A. Barker
Click on photo to enlarge
This is a photo of Raymond A. Barker taken about two years before he enlisted in the Marines. He would have been about 21 years old at this time.
He was the youngest of his parents four children.
A formal portrait of him in full uniform can be found on Tarawa on the Web.
He was the youngest of his parents four children.
A formal portrait of him in full uniform can be found on Tarawa on the Web.
Raymond Barker was a brilliant young man. He attended the Albert G. Lane Technical High School, in Chicago. "Lane Tech" was an exclusive school, even though it was enormous. They "would only accept you if you were in the top 10% of your graduating class in primary school. (grades 1 thru 8)" and was "only open to males" at this time, remembers Philip, who attended the same High School.
"Ray", as his relatives call him, was an outgoing and social person. He and his brother, Elbridge Barker, were "very fun loving" says Philip who spent many good times with him from 1948 to 1952.
Philip remembers: "I recall that one day after work, my Uncle Elbridge came to his parents house (where Philip was also living) carrying a shopping bag. He said "'Ma, have you fixed dinner yet?" She said "no, I haven't cooked yet". Uncle Elbridge said "That's good because I brought dinner." He then opened the shopping bag and put the contents on the table. It was full of ice cream! Our dinner that night was all the ice cream we could eat! What a guy! 'I'm told that Uncle Ray would also have pulled such a stunt" Philip said. "His mom and dad just went along with the gag, knowing the personality of their son."
Raymond Barker enlisted the Marine Corps in Chicago on 5 October 1942. He attended the tank school and obtained the rank of Private First Class. He was then sent to Camp Pendleton to attend advanced tank training class, and was assigned as a tank driver in C Company, 1st Corps Tank Battalion (Medium).
He and some of his comrades returned to Camp Eliot to attend a Diesel engine school. There, he obtained the rank of Corporal.
During training, he kept up a correspondence with his family, and his sweetheart back in Wisconsin.
"Ray", as his relatives call him, was an outgoing and social person. He and his brother, Elbridge Barker, were "very fun loving" says Philip who spent many good times with him from 1948 to 1952.
Philip remembers: "I recall that one day after work, my Uncle Elbridge came to his parents house (where Philip was also living) carrying a shopping bag. He said "'Ma, have you fixed dinner yet?" She said "no, I haven't cooked yet". Uncle Elbridge said "That's good because I brought dinner." He then opened the shopping bag and put the contents on the table. It was full of ice cream! Our dinner that night was all the ice cream we could eat! What a guy! 'I'm told that Uncle Ray would also have pulled such a stunt" Philip said. "His mom and dad just went along with the gag, knowing the personality of their son."
Raymond Barker enlisted the Marine Corps in Chicago on 5 October 1942. He attended the tank school and obtained the rank of Private First Class. He was then sent to Camp Pendleton to attend advanced tank training class, and was assigned as a tank driver in C Company, 1st Corps Tank Battalion (Medium).
He and some of his comrades returned to Camp Eliot to attend a Diesel engine school. There, he obtained the rank of Corporal.
During training, he kept up a correspondence with his family, and his sweetheart back in Wisconsin.
Promoted to Acting Corporal
It is clear though that Raymond was quite quickly promoted.
When the battle of Tarawa started on the morning of 20 November, Cpl. Barker and its tank were transferred from the USS Ashland, to an LCM that carried them across Tarawa's lagoon. When the boat grounded on the reef, off Red Beach 3, the tank, attached to the 3rd Platoon, and its crew splashed into the water.
Barker followed the Company's original orders. He drove his tank threw the chaotic ground of the island, southbound. Soon after crossing the taxi strip, Barker's tank was targeted by a Japanese 75 mm antiaircraft gun. The concussion of the rounds caused an electrical malfunction and a red warning light lit up on the dashboard, indicating that the engine was burning.
"[...] Barker, our driver, said 'we're on fire!'" remembered Joe Woolum 70 years after the events. [1]
The Tank Commander quickly ordered his crew to exit the supposedly burning tank.
As visible in photographs, the gun tube's position prevented the driver's hatch from opening. Barker had two choices: to go out from the assistant driver's hatch or by the emergency hatch, located behind the driver's seat. Raymond Barker was probably the last man to bail out from the tank.
Cpl. Barker apparently made it out, but his body was never recovered.
On D-Day, November 20th, the Cpl. Barker was reported as MIA, and a few weeks after the island was declared secured, his status changed to presumed Killed In Action. His body has never been recovered.
He is one of eight men of Charlie Company who were listed as MIA during the battle of Betio.
In his last letter dated from the 1st of November, Cpl. Barker told of the frequent moves of his unit across the Pacific islands. It predicted an imminent assault of his unit but no premonition of his own death.Mail went very slow due to the distances that letters had to cross.
Raymond Barker's parents were informed two months after the battle that their son was reported as MIA and presumed killed. On 9 March 1944, the bad news came in a form of telegram:
"Cpl. Barker was listed as missing after the attack November 20 on Tarawa atoll in the Gilbert Islands. However, Tarawa has now been fully occupied by American forces for 3 months, and it must necessarily be concluded that he lost his life in action."
No words can describe the grief that fell on Barker's family. His parents and relatives are still in mourning. "Even the slightest mention of his name would cause a cascade of tears." Recalls Philip. He also recalls that very little conversation about Ray was possible within the family while he (Philip) lived with Ray's parents. "There was simply too much grief over his death".
After Raymond Barker's mother received the telegram, she hung a gold star on her front door, signifying that the family had lost someone in the war.
Philip ended the discussion about his uncle by saying: "Ray had a sweetheart when he left for war. The family believes that they would have married, had he survived...".
Barker followed the Company's original orders. He drove his tank threw the chaotic ground of the island, southbound. Soon after crossing the taxi strip, Barker's tank was targeted by a Japanese 75 mm antiaircraft gun. The concussion of the rounds caused an electrical malfunction and a red warning light lit up on the dashboard, indicating that the engine was burning.
"[...] Barker, our driver, said 'we're on fire!'" remembered Joe Woolum 70 years after the events. [1]
The Tank Commander quickly ordered his crew to exit the supposedly burning tank.
As visible in photographs, the gun tube's position prevented the driver's hatch from opening. Barker had two choices: to go out from the assistant driver's hatch or by the emergency hatch, located behind the driver's seat. Raymond Barker was probably the last man to bail out from the tank.
Cpl. Barker apparently made it out, but his body was never recovered.
On D-Day, November 20th, the Cpl. Barker was reported as MIA, and a few weeks after the island was declared secured, his status changed to presumed Killed In Action. His body has never been recovered.
He is one of eight men of Charlie Company who were listed as MIA during the battle of Betio.
In his last letter dated from the 1st of November, Cpl. Barker told of the frequent moves of his unit across the Pacific islands. It predicted an imminent assault of his unit but no premonition of his own death.Mail went very slow due to the distances that letters had to cross.
Raymond Barker's parents were informed two months after the battle that their son was reported as MIA and presumed killed. On 9 March 1944, the bad news came in a form of telegram:
"Cpl. Barker was listed as missing after the attack November 20 on Tarawa atoll in the Gilbert Islands. However, Tarawa has now been fully occupied by American forces for 3 months, and it must necessarily be concluded that he lost his life in action."
No words can describe the grief that fell on Barker's family. His parents and relatives are still in mourning. "Even the slightest mention of his name would cause a cascade of tears." Recalls Philip. He also recalls that very little conversation about Ray was possible within the family while he (Philip) lived with Ray's parents. "There was simply too much grief over his death".
After Raymond Barker's mother received the telegram, she hung a gold star on her front door, signifying that the family had lost someone in the war.
Philip ended the discussion about his uncle by saying: "Ray had a sweetheart when he left for war. The family believes that they would have married, had he survived...".
Click on photo to enlarge
Not much needs to be said here. This is a scan of a newspaper article which reveals some details of his career in the Marines.
Condolences telegram to Raymond Barker's parents
Click on photo to enlarge
Purple Heart Citation
Click on photo to enlarge
"One of the family members is in possession of Raymond's decorations and I am attempting to obtain them" says Philip. He continues: "this is true of other artifacts as well. While he was in training his parents contacted a local and well known maker of custom knives, and they commissioned him to make a two edged dagger which they sent to Raymond as soon as it was finished. It never reached him and shortly after he had been declared MIA, the unopened package was returned to his parents with the notation "undeliverable"."
[1]: Joe Woolum was the gunner in the tank Condor. He was wounded while returning to Red Beach 3.
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