Presentation Date: July 28, 2011
Leroy Parker Army Air Force
By Cathy Tallyn Staff writer, Rossmoor News.
LeRoy Parker is the latest French Legion of Honor awardee. There's no disputing the patriotism of LeRoy Parker. He proudly flies an American flag at his manor's front door. And in his home office is a display of the medals he was awarded for his efforts in World War II and for his father's in World War I. The Rossmoor resident flew 35 combat missions over France and Germany as a navigator on a B-24 bomber.
Parker displays the Distinguished Flying Cross he was awarded before being shipped home from England at the end of the Second World War. And along with that medal is one that came 66 years later - the French Legion of Honor.
Parker, a retired lawyer, is the latest Rossmoor resident to be so honored by the French with that nation's highest military honor.
Earlier this month at Dollar Clubhouse, Parker had the medal with its red ribbon pinned on him by French Deputy Consul General Patrice Servantie. He told Parker and his friends that had gathered that France was honoring the virtues of courage, dedication and sacrifice. Those values need to be protected, he said.
The award was made for Parker's efforts to help liberate France during World War II. He feels humbled by the French award.
A coincidence brought him to the attention of the French. Parker's wartime record includes flying two missions on D-Day. While at a similar medal presentation ceremony for friend William Kalan, he struck up a conversation with a French woman.
He shared some of his wartime experiences and discovered that she was a Legion of Honor recipient for her efforts in the French resistance. She filled out the paperwork and six months later, Parker was notified that he had been awarded the Legion of Honor.
He enlisted at age 18
Parker can recall his war experiences from the day he enlisted at age 18 in March 1943 to the war's end and back to the life of a civilian. While in the air corps, Parker had both good and bad experiences.
A good experience was the two weeks he experienced flying a circuitous route from the United States to England, where he was based to fly missions across the English Channel to Europe.
“Those two weeks were the most marvelous experience in my life,” he said. “There were 10 guys in a brand new aircraft half way around the world. It was a great experience.”
His worst experience, he said, was when his plane had to fly a mission over the Seine River to help destroy that city's beautiful bridges.
Parker has stories about bombing runs, air battles with the Germans, near-death experiences and a crash landing.
Remembering D-Day
But when he tells his World War II stories, he begins with D-Day. At the brink of day, his plane flew a diversionary run to help keep the Germans from figuring out where in France the Allied invasion would be.
He remembers the sight of thousands of ships and planes flying from England to the coast of France. “I had an unforgettable view of the invasion forces,” he said.
After his crew landed back in England, he was asked to go on a second run, this time over Omaha Beach.
“The commanding officer called me in and said, ‘We need you for one more mission.' Š I thought about it for a minute or two and said, ‘I'll go.'” Despite German resistance, his plane made it to France and back in one piece.
A bomber's targets were air fields, railroad yards and manufacturing plants, Parker said. A bomber's enemy was flak and German fighter planes. The flight time for bombing raids and their return to England was 10 to 12 hours. Sometimes during the year that he flew missions, his plane had fighter cover and sometimes it didn't, he said.
Parker told the story of one time pulling rank to leave his navigator's position to fly in the nose turret so he could fire its two machine guns at the Germans. When the battle was over, Parker returned to his navigator's table and saw a 6-inch bullet hole where he would have been sitting.
“I would have been shot, maybe killed,” He said. Of the 90 airplanes that took off on the mission, 14 didn't return.
By Cathy Tallyn Staff writer, Rossmoor News.
LeRoy Parker is the latest French Legion of Honor awardee. There's no disputing the patriotism of LeRoy Parker. He proudly flies an American flag at his manor's front door. And in his home office is a display of the medals he was awarded for his efforts in World War II and for his father's in World War I. The Rossmoor resident flew 35 combat missions over France and Germany as a navigator on a B-24 bomber.
Parker displays the Distinguished Flying Cross he was awarded before being shipped home from England at the end of the Second World War. And along with that medal is one that came 66 years later - the French Legion of Honor.
Parker, a retired lawyer, is the latest Rossmoor resident to be so honored by the French with that nation's highest military honor.
Earlier this month at Dollar Clubhouse, Parker had the medal with its red ribbon pinned on him by French Deputy Consul General Patrice Servantie. He told Parker and his friends that had gathered that France was honoring the virtues of courage, dedication and sacrifice. Those values need to be protected, he said.
The award was made for Parker's efforts to help liberate France during World War II. He feels humbled by the French award.
A coincidence brought him to the attention of the French. Parker's wartime record includes flying two missions on D-Day. While at a similar medal presentation ceremony for friend William Kalan, he struck up a conversation with a French woman.
He shared some of his wartime experiences and discovered that she was a Legion of Honor recipient for her efforts in the French resistance. She filled out the paperwork and six months later, Parker was notified that he had been awarded the Legion of Honor.
He enlisted at age 18
Parker can recall his war experiences from the day he enlisted at age 18 in March 1943 to the war's end and back to the life of a civilian. While in the air corps, Parker had both good and bad experiences.
A good experience was the two weeks he experienced flying a circuitous route from the United States to England, where he was based to fly missions across the English Channel to Europe.
“Those two weeks were the most marvelous experience in my life,” he said. “There were 10 guys in a brand new aircraft half way around the world. It was a great experience.”
His worst experience, he said, was when his plane had to fly a mission over the Seine River to help destroy that city's beautiful bridges.
Parker has stories about bombing runs, air battles with the Germans, near-death experiences and a crash landing.
Remembering D-Day
But when he tells his World War II stories, he begins with D-Day. At the brink of day, his plane flew a diversionary run to help keep the Germans from figuring out where in France the Allied invasion would be.
He remembers the sight of thousands of ships and planes flying from England to the coast of France. “I had an unforgettable view of the invasion forces,” he said.
After his crew landed back in England, he was asked to go on a second run, this time over Omaha Beach.
“The commanding officer called me in and said, ‘We need you for one more mission.' Š I thought about it for a minute or two and said, ‘I'll go.'” Despite German resistance, his plane made it to France and back in one piece.
A bomber's targets were air fields, railroad yards and manufacturing plants, Parker said. A bomber's enemy was flak and German fighter planes. The flight time for bombing raids and their return to England was 10 to 12 hours. Sometimes during the year that he flew missions, his plane had fighter cover and sometimes it didn't, he said.
Parker told the story of one time pulling rank to leave his navigator's position to fly in the nose turret so he could fire its two machine guns at the Germans. When the battle was over, Parker returned to his navigator's table and saw a 6-inch bullet hole where he would have been sitting.
“I would have been shot, maybe killed,” He said. Of the 90 airplanes that took off on the mission, 14 didn't return.