Army of the United States Certificate of Service for C. Walder Parke   Save
Charles Walder Parke WW2 Collection
Description: Certificate discharging C. Walder Parke from the U.S. Army. Parke received his induction orders on February 22, 1943, but his time as an enlisted man is not recorded on this certificate. Only his time spent as a commissioned officer, from January 15, 1944 onward, is documented here. Parke received this certificate at Camp Atterbury, Indiana, and shortly returned to his home in Cleveland. From this point forward, he served in what would later become the Army Reserve until he was discharged completely in September of 1955. 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_B01F27_003_01
Subjects: Parke, Charles Walder, 1924-1996; United States. Army. Air Corps; Indiana--Camp Atterbury
Places: Edinburgh (Indiana); Johnson County (Indiana)