The Lone Navy Eagle
by
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A Brochure of Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, USN, who I would later serve under in the Pacific War, describes the Pearl Harbor disaster (0-2 REF). The war, and its ramifications, forced me to reconsider my previous plans. I concluded that I should postpone college, and join the war effort. As I saw it, this was my obligation to my family and to my country. The question was how? From available information, I determined that army and navy recruiting stations were testing high school graduates for flight training. In view of this, I worked out plans to visit the recruiting center in Raleigh, NC. This I did after reaching the age of eighteen, but prior to high school graduation. I would arrange to finish high school and get my diploma prior to entering service. My high school diploma came as planned, mixed in with my navy enlistment from Rich Square High School, Rich Square, N.C. This is a small rural school that only taught basic courses in math and science, which was to affect my later struggles in these subjects during Navy Training.
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About the Book
The Lone Navy Eagle is a WAR STORY with accent on the High Adventures of a young U.S. Navy Fighter Pilot, myself. All information is based on my memory of the battles and other events as they occurred during my Navy Service. However, all of my information is backed up by extensive research through all available Naval and National Archive sources. Further, many private books, letters, short stories, and other documents were reviewed that were related to my service. All of these sources are properly referenced in my story. The story begins when I was a young, seventeen year old, Farm Boy in North Carolina on December 7, 1941 (PEARL HARBOR DAY). At that time I resolved to forgo college and join the Air Force to help save my country. I finished High School in May 1942, and started Navy Flight Training in the next month. The first part of my story is about my adventures in flight training, where I was always the youngest cadet. Further, being in classes with other cadets that were older and had college training handicapped me in class work. However, I faired better than most when it came to actually flying. I had flight talents that were not common to most. The major part of my story is about my actual combat experiences that began right after I finished training at the age of nineteen. I give details on my almost daily combat missions in two Air Groups during the years 1943 to 1944. This period of my service ended with the sinking of the USS PRINCETON in October 1944. During this period, from late 1943 to October 1944, I fought in seven major campaigns in the Pacific, and flew more than 600 hours in combat. The final part of my story is about training new pilots for Pacific Combat, in preparation my return to Pacific War to lead these new pilots. Just after the end of the War, I was involved in further combat training, and in activities related to getting THE NAVY AIR CORPS STORY to the people. The book has 212 pictures and illustrations to go along with the written story
About the Author
William Edward (Ed) Parker
Birth: Woodland, NC, 2/7/24. U.S. Citizen.
Education:
Rich Square High School, Rich Square, NC. 1942.
U. S. Navy Flight Training, 1942-1943.
Commissioned as Ensign and Pilot, 8/11/43.
North Carolina State University, 1947-1951
BIE Degree (Industrial Engineering) 1951
General Electric Engineering Test Program, 1951-1952.
World War II:
U. S. Navy Officer and Fighter Pilot, Final Rank of Full Lieutenant, USNR.
Combat assignments:
Air Group Twenty Three, USS Princeton, Jan. 1944 to May 1944
Air Group Twenty Seven, USS Princeton, May 1944 to Oct. 1944
USS Princeton was sunk, 10/24/44.
Air Group 52/5, Jan. 1945 to March 1947. Part time on the USS Lexington.
Employment history:
General Electric, Engineering and Manufacturing.
Syracuse, NY 1952 to 1958. Commercial and Government Equipment.
Lynchburg, VA, 1958 to 1962. Communications Equipment.
Martin Mariatta Company, Engineering.
Orlando, FL 1962 to 1965. Space and Missiles.
General Electric, Engineering and Manufacturing.
Louisville, KY, 1966 to 1993. General Electric Appliances.
Retired from GE 1/1/94.
Air Filter Testing Laboratory, Part Time, 1994 to present as an Environmental Engineer.
Author of the book, Manufacturing Meltdown in America, 1998
Honors and Awards:
Distinguished Flying Cross, USN.
Tau Beta Phi and Alpha Pi Mu honorary Engineering Fraternities, NSCU.
General Electric Managerial Awards (Three).
Boy Scouts of America, Silver Beaver Award.
Several Political Service Awards.
Church:
St. Thomas Episcopal Church
Treasurer’s Award.