Description: Letter from the Army War College with an excerpt from a pamphlet by Private Frank B. Sargent about psychological preparation for combat. Sargent defines what he calls the "psychology of hate" as the instilled distrust of anyone on the opposing side, and a desire to kill the enemy before he kills you. He asserts that American soldiers were not prepared for war because they believed that the enemy soldiers were normal people forced to comply, and did not deserve death. The psychology of hate, according to Sargent, is required for intelligence personnel to ensure that they trust no one and never exchange secret information with possible spies. Despite the intended audience, this document was distributed to the entire Army rather than only to intelligence personnel, which is why C. Walder Parke obtained a copy. Charles Walder Parke was born on July 28, 1924, and grew up in Shaker Heights, Ohio. He enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces in 1942 intending to be a pilot during WWII, but spent most of his military career as a navigator on B-17 Flying Fortresses in the 94th Bombardment Group. Parke earned two Bronze Stars, an Air Medal with several Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Distinguished Flying Cross for his successful bombing missions, including some over Berlin. He is best known for being on board a B-17 which was shot down over France by German planes on June 25, 1944, during a non-combat mission. The crew managed to make an emergency landing, and everyone inside survived. After the war, Parke founded the Cleveland-based Laurel Industries Inc., which became a prominent supplier of antimony oxide to the plastics industry. He died of Lou-Gehrig’s Disease on September 15, 1996, at the age of 72. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: MSS1510_B01F01_004_01
Subjects: Military education; Military intelligence; Combat--Psychological aspects; Hate
Places: Washington (District of Columbia);