David P Parks was the second eldest of 6 children, 4 boys and 2 girls. Son of Percy and Clara Wahl Parks. He was a 1st Lieutenant with the U.S. Army Air Forces assigned to the 749th Squadron, 457th Bomber Group, Heavy. He was a B-17 G-series pilot.
In 1943, David married Elizabeth “Betty” A. Mickey from Huntington County, Pennsylvania. Within months, David departed for Glatton, England for training. David, along with his 9 man crew, piloted 14 missions in Germany, France and Poland between February and April 1944.
On April 9, 1944, David and crew raided a location in Poland. Just after dropping bombs, the fighter was hit by ground fire that knocked out one of four engines. Although David regained control of the bomber, just minutes later that the cockpit area was hit. 3 of the crew parachuted out and captured as prisoners of war. The others, including 23 year old David, perished.
Initially listed as “missing in action”, in July 1944, 2 uniformed military personnel visited the Parks family to notify them of David’s death. Why David’s body was not returned home is not clear. One reason is that it was an unaffordable cost in 1944. David is buried in one of 26 cemeteries in 16 countries administered by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC), specifically, the Ardennes American Cemetery and Memorial in Neupre, Belgium, a 90 acres cemetery with over 5,000 Americans, the majority being airmen of the U.S. Army Air Forces.
In 1943, David married Elizabeth “Betty” A. Mickey from Huntington County, Pennsylvania. Within months, David departed for Glatton, England for training. David, along with his 9 man crew, piloted 14 missions in Germany, France and Poland between February and April 1944.
On April 9, 1944, David and crew raided a location in Poland. Just after dropping bombs, the fighter was hit by ground fire that knocked out one of four engines. Although David regained control of the bomber, just minutes later that the cockpit area was hit. 3 of the crew parachuted out and captured as prisoners of war. The others, including 23 year old David, perished.
Initially listed as “missing in action”, in July 1944, 2 uniformed military personnel visited the Parks family to notify them of David’s death. Why David’s body was not returned home is not clear. One reason is that it was an unaffordable cost in 1944. David is buried in one of 26 cemeteries in 16 countries administered by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC), specifically, the Ardennes American Cemetery and Memorial in Neupre, Belgium, a 90 acres cemetery with over 5,000 Americans, the majority being airmen of the U.S. Army Air Forces.
David P Parks was the second eldest of 6 children, 4 boys and 2 girls. Son of Percy and Clara Wahl Parks. He was a 1st Lieutenant with the U.S. Army Air Forces assigned to the 749th Squadron, 457th Bomber Group, Heavy. He was a B-17 G-series pilot.
In 1943, David married Elizabeth “Betty” A. Mickey from Huntington County, Pennsylvania. Within months, David departed for Glatton, England for training. David, along with his 9 man crew, piloted 14 missions in Germany, France and Poland between February and April 1944.
On April 9, 1944, David and crew raided a location in Poland. Just after dropping bombs, the fighter was hit by ground fire that knocked out one of four engines. Although David regained control of the bomber, just minutes later that the cockpit area was hit. 3 of the crew parachuted out and captured as prisoners of war. The others, including 23 year old David, perished.
Initially listed as “missing in action”, in July 1944, 2 uniformed military personnel visited the Parks family to notify them of David’s death. Why David’s body was not returned home is not clear. One reason is that it was an unaffordable cost in 1944. David is buried in one of 26 cemeteries in 16 countries administered by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC), specifically, the Ardennes American Cemetery and Memorial in Neupre, Belgium, a 90 acres cemetery with over 5,000 Americans, the majority being airmen of the U.S. Army Air Forces.
In 1943, David married Elizabeth “Betty” A. Mickey from Huntington County, Pennsylvania. Within months, David departed for Glatton, England for training. David, along with his 9 man crew, piloted 14 missions in Germany, France and Poland between February and April 1944.
On April 9, 1944, David and crew raided a location in Poland. Just after dropping bombs, the fighter was hit by ground fire that knocked out one of four engines. Although David regained control of the bomber, just minutes later that the cockpit area was hit. 3 of the crew parachuted out and captured as prisoners of war. The others, including 23 year old David, perished.
Initially listed as “missing in action”, in July 1944, 2 uniformed military personnel visited the Parks family to notify them of David’s death. Why David’s body was not returned home is not clear. One reason is that it was an unaffordable cost in 1944. David is buried in one of 26 cemeteries in 16 countries administered by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC), specifically, the Ardennes American Cemetery and Memorial in Neupre, Belgium, a 90 acres cemetery with over 5,000 Americans, the majority being airmen of the U.S. Army Air Forces.
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Entered the service from Pennsylvania.
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