Sunday Afternoon at Bill Barber Park in Irvine

That's Colonel Bill Barber Marine Corps Memorial Park, actually.



I love the place. I took my youngest boy out to play for a little while yesterday afternoon.



At Colonel Barber's Wikipedia entry:

William Earl Barber (November 20, 1919 – November 30, 2002) was an officer in the United States Marine Corps awarded with the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Battle of Chosin Reservoir during the Korean War. With only 220 men under his command, Barber held off more than 1,400 People's Republic of China soldiers during six days of fighting. Despite the extreme cold weather conditions and himself suffering a bone fracturing wound to the leg, Barber refused an order to leave his position fearing that a retreat would trap 8,000 other Marines. Barber and his limited number of men killed over 1,000 enemy troops; only 82 of his men were able to walk away after eventually being relieved.

Below, at the heart of the facility, is the hill-top flagpole memorial. And the weather was breezy and mild:

At the base is a monument to all the service branches of the Unites States Armed Forces:

Here's the view northeast, toward Saddleback Mountain in the distance:

My boy went for walk around the baseball field (he's over on the sidewalk, at the center-left, a little black spec:

He left is Lego toys at the table for safekeeping while he was gone:

You can see my boy better here, on the play structure at center:

More blogging later!