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Hoyle R. Barr

Paris Junior College lost a great friend on January 2, 2009, and Paris lost one of its shrinking number of World War II veteran heroes—Hoyle Barr, born ironically on December 7, 1917, in St. Joseph’s Infirmary, Paris, Texas. His home was Biardstown, and he was a third generation Texan. For those of you who pay attention to such facts, Miss Madge Seckles got him off to a good start in life, grades 1-3, when his mother, Faith Opal Redman Barr (father Corrie Hoyle Barr) released him into her capable hands.  He also attended 4th Ward, Paris High School 1932-1935, and Paris Junior College 1936-1938. Hoyle then attended Aero Industries Technical Institute in Glenwood, California, in 1939, worked briefly as an aero mechanic at North American Aviation in Inglewood and then entered the United States Marine Corps from Long Beach. 1939 was a busy year for Hoyle Barr. A Naval aviator, Hoyle was over Guadalcanal by 1942, and the rest, as they say, is history: Guadalcanal, 1942-43; Philippines, 1944-45; Korea, 1950-51; and Vietnam, 1960. The man retired in 1962 as Lt. Col. Barr with 2 DFC’s, 12 Air Medals, a Bronze Star, and a Presidential Unit Citation.

Still not done, Hoyle worked for Ling-Temco-Vought Aviation in Dallas, 1962-69, earned a BA in art from UT Arlington in 1971, and went to work for PJC 1971-85, when he retired, again, as Director of Jewelry Technology. 

He was married long and faithfully to Maidie Sackett Barr, and they had three daughters.

Upon his final retirement from military service, he reported 3600 hours of flight time, including 950 in helicopters, 750 in transports, and 200 in jets. He also listed carrier experience, which is not for the faint of heart. His picture appears in the November 23, 1942, issue of Life magazine as Lieut. Hoyle R. Barr, one of “Midway’s fliers.” According to the article, these men lived in dugouts near their planes and spent their time flying patrol, practicing dogfights, and “Chasing Tails” (stretched out in a single line, playing a version of “Follow the Leader,” in this case, the squadron commander). It said they also spent a lot of idle time studying the flying habits of the birds on this island, but one they could never understand was the bo’sun bird, who could fly backward.

Well, done, Hoyle Barr. Well done.

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