Lockbourne Army Air Base special orders, November 4, 1944   Save
Charles Walder Parke WW2 Collection
Description: Military orders from the U.S. Army Air Forces at Lockbourne Army Air Base in Columbus confirming C. Walder Parke's assignment as a navigational instructor at that location. Parke was reassigned to Lockbourne after a brief stay at the redistribution center in Miami Beach, Florida. He spent the rest of his military career on the ground, as a teacher and a member of the Air Force Reserves. 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_B01F18_001_01
Subjects: Parke, Charles Walder, 1924-1996; Military education; Flight navigators, Military
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)