H. Douglas Barclay
Bio
H. Douglas Barclay is former long-time New York State Senator, and a former United States Ambassador to El Salvador. He began his military career through ROTC at Yale University and entered service as a Second Lieutenant. He served in Korea directly after the war from 1955-1957. His interview is rich with descriptions of both history and politics in Korea and beyond. H. Douglas Barclay explains the American public’s perception of Korea as he remembers it. He also emphasizes the progress that South Korea has made, referring to it as a “miracle.”
Video Clips
Public Opinion
H. Douglas Barclay explains how the American public perception of the Korea was very different than during Vietnam. The country was happy, doing well, and glad to have the war over with. The people on the street were all very positive. He explains that they were stopping Communism, a mission everyone agreed upon.
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Successful Korean capitalism
H. Douglas Barclay discusses how the war led to capitalism in South Korea and a successful economy. He explains how the principles that were applied to South Korea allowed their system to work. He argues that the capitalist system is a success for quality of life.
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Talking about the War in the Curriculum
H. Douglas Barclay talks about the importance of education regarding the important effects of military operations. He discusses his belief that information about the war in Korea and subsequent US conflicts should be in the school curriculum. He argues that the Korean War is just as significant as other wars that have been fought.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lifSyjaGv0Y&start=2422&end=2541
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/h-douglas-barclay#clip-3
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Korean Miracle
H. Douglas Barclay argues that Korea places a major role in the history of the United States. He explains that if you saw Korea today, it is a "miracle." He remembers taking a bus through Korea and seeing how built up it was compared to North Korea, recalling that North Korea then looked like South Korea in 1955.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lifSyjaGv0Y&start=2863&end=3048
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/h-douglas-barclay#clip-4
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