C. Walder Parke and father photograph   Save
Charles Walder Parke WW2 Collection
Description: Photograph of C. Walder Parke and his father Charles S. Parke standing in front of a curved staircase by a stream or lake. The location of this photograph is unknown, but a Huth Seed store is visible in the background. Huth Seed Company was a major distributor of floral seeds and hardware in the 19th and early 20th centuries. 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_001
Subjects: Parke, Charles Walder, 1924-1996; Fathers and sons; Soldiers--Family relationships; United States Air Force; Military uniforms; Air pilots, Military
Places: Charles Walder Parke WW2 Collection