Description: Photograph of C. Walder Parke on a tennis court with other Army Air Forces members, either before or after playing a game. 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_B03F02_004
Subjects: Tennis; Airmen; Parke, Charles Walder, 1924-1996; United States Air Force; Air pilots, Military
 

Description: Photograph of C. Walder Parke and an Army Air Forces member identified in handwriting as Earl Miller. Other photographs of Earl P. Miller, a pilot in the 94th Bombardment Group to which Parke belonged, do not support this identification. The person in this photograph with Parke remains unknown. 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_B03F02_010
Subjects: Parke, Charles Walder, 1924-1996; Airmen; United States Air Force; Military uniforms; Air pilots, Military
 

Description: Photograph of C. Walder Parke in uniform with his mother Grace B. Parke. 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_B03F03_002
Subjects: Parke, Charles Walder, 1924-1996; Mothers and sons; Soldiers--Family relationships; United States Air Force; Military uniforms; Air pilots, Military
 

Description: Bust-length photograph of C. Walder Parke in uniform. The photographer, Clifford Norton, started his own very influential portrait studio in Cleveland during the early 20th century, and was thriving at the time this picture was taken. 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_B03F01_012
Subjects: Parke, Charles Walder, 1924-1996; Portrait photography; United States Air Force; Military uniforms; Air pilots, Military
Places: Cleveland (Ohio); Cuyahoga County (Ohio)
 

Description: Photograph of C. Walder Parke in uniform with his wife, Eileen Czerny Parke. The two were married June 19, 1943. The photographer, Clifford Norton, started his own very influential portait studio in Cleveland during the early 20th century, and was thriving at the time this picture was taken. 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_B03F03_009
Subjects: Parke, Charles Walder, 1924-1996; Portrait photography; Soldiers--Family relationships; United States Air Force; Military uniforms; Air pilots, Military
Places: Cleveland (Ohio); Cuyahoga County (Ohio)
 

Description: Photograph of C. Walder Parke standing in front of a curved staircase by a stream or lake. The location of this photograph is unknown. 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_B03F01_003
Subjects: Parke, Charles Walder, 1924-1996; Staircases; United States Air Force; Military uniforms; Air pilots, Military
 

Description: Harry Pepon (right) and an unidentified member of his crew in Italy, 1944. Pepon was born in Hilliard, Ohio, and served as a bombardier on a B-17 crew stationed in Italy during World War II. His plane was hit by enemy fire on its first mission to bomb a German refinery. The plane went missing and the crew was presumed dead. After the war, debris from the plane was found in Yugoslavia. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL07528
Subjects: Soldiers--Ohio; Ohio History--Military Ohio; Aircraft accidents; Air pilots; Military uniforms; World War, 1939-1945 - Ohio
Places: Italy
 

Description: Portrait of famous female pilot Amelia Earhart in November 1928. Amelia Earhart was born on July 24, 1897 in Atchison, Kansas. Earhart was known for her aviation feats, including being the first female passenger on a transatlantic flight and being the first person to fly solo in the Pacific. In June 1937, Earhart began her first around-the-world flight, but along with her navigator Frederick Noonan, vanished on July 2. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL02915
Subjects: Earhart, Amelia, 1897-1937; Women air pilots--United States--History--20th century
 

Description: The "Spirit of Columbus," an airplane flown by pioneering female pilot Geraldine "Jerrie" Mock of Newark, Ohio, photographed in a hangar at Port Columbus airport in Columbus, Ohio. In 1964 Mock was the first woman to complete a solo flight around the world. Her trip took less than one month to complete and set speed records for planes of this size. The "Spirit of Columbus" is a Cessna 180 model aircraft manufactured by the Cessna Aircraft Company. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL02698
Subjects: Franklin County (Ohio); Ohio Economy--Transportation and Development; Air travel--1960-1970; Women air pilots--United States; Cessna Aircraft Company
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio); Newark (Ohio); Licking County (Ohio)
 

Description: This undated photograph shows John Glenn in his military pilot gear, standing inside an aircraft with his helmet removed. The John and Annie Glenn collection is comprised of photographs, slides, books and ephemera documenting the career of John Glenn as an astronaut and U.S. Senator. The collection also documents his life with his wife Annie Glenn née Castor, family and friends, such as Robert and Ethel Kennedy and fellow astronauts. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AV329_B22F10_03A
Subjects: Glenn, John, 1921-2016; Military officers; Air pilots;
 

Description: Photograph of C. Walder Parke on the beach. Based on the question written on the back of the photograph, this was a candid shot. 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_B03F02_013_01
Subjects: Parke, Charles Walder, 1924-1996; Beaches; United States Air Force; Air pilots, Military
 

Description: This F5D-1 Skylancer fighter aircraft was manufactured by the Douglas Aircraft Company of Santa Monica, California, and dates from 1956-1960. The fuselage, wings and tail are painted white and orange. The nose is painted orange and features a black V-shaped design, with a protruding silver pilot tube. Each side of the aircraft features a black and white camera calibration decal (meant to help focus cameras that record test flights), and an arrow with text, "RESCUE," pointed down toward the nose. Neil Armstrong of Wapakoneta, Ohio, flew this aircraft as a NASA research pilot between September 1960 and September 1962. The Douglas Aircraft Company built four Skylancer aircraft, which were used during the Dyna-Soar research program, meant to simulate flight characteristics of a planned space vehicle. The Dyna-Soar program aimed to launch a winged aircraft able to enter the atmosphere and glide to a conventional landing following a mission in space, but was cancelled in December 1963. After the program ended, the aircraft remained at the NASA Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. In 1970, the aircraft was retired at Wright Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio. On May 21, 1972, the aircraft was driven to the Armstrong Air & Space Museum in Wapakoneta, Ohio, where it was placed on a concrete display pedestal. The aircraft remained on display as part of a long-term loan to the Ohio History Connection from the NASA Flight Research Center (renamed Armstrong Flight Research Center) until September 11, 2017, when it was removed for conservation. In Spring 2017, NASA AFRC transferred ownership of the aircraft to the Ohio History Connection. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: H100015
Subjects: Armstrong, Neil, 1930-2012; Aeronautics; Science and Technology; Aircraft; Air pilots; Space flight;
Places: Wapakoneta (Ohio); Auglaize County (Ohio); Santa Monica (California)