Mitchell Parks
| Date and Place of Birth: | June 13, 1915 Elkhart, Texas |
| Date and Place of Death: | March 31, 1945 Pacific Ocean |
| Baseball Experience: | College |
| Position: | Unknown |
| Rank: | Captain |
| Military Unit: | VMF-221, US Marine Corps |
| Area Served: | Pacific Theater of Operations |
Mitchell L. Parks, the son of R.E. Lee and
Judy Parks was born in Elkhart, Texas in 1917. He
graduated from Palestine High School and Allen Academy before
attending Baylor University where he was a star in
baseball (1936-1937), football and basketball.
Parks entered service with the Marine Corps in September 1941 and
trained at Corpus Christi, Texas and Mojave, California.
Captain Parks was a fighter pilot with VMF-221
squadron aboard the USS Bunker Hill (CV-17) aircraft carrier. He was
participating in air raids on Palau, Yap, Ulithi, and Woleai in the
Palau Islands when he was killed in action on March 31, 1945. His mother
(Judy) and wife (Doris),
were notified he was missing in late April, but it was not until May 5
they were informed he had been killed.
Mitchell Parks earned the Air Medal with Gold Star and the Purple Heart.
His body was never recovered. He is remembered at the Honolulu Memorial
in Hawaii and the Garden of Memories at Elkhart, Texas.
Mitchell Parks at Baylor
USS Bunker Hill (CV-17)
Rememberance plaque for Mitchell Parks at the Garden of Memories at Elkhart, Texas
Date Added February 5, 2013 Updated August 22, 2013
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