Major General Frank Parker Ends Notable Career in Army Heading Largest Command
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ritcanrqmoled to brigadier neneral te college an. < temporary*, and placed in command ©South Carolina. hear his men. suffefingRrievously of the First infantry brigade. First di Gen. John J. Pershing from his from their wounds, ask eagerly, did vision, August 26, 1918. Comprising headquarters in France wrote to the Colonel come through safely. He Major General Frank Parker the First brigade at that time, as they General Parker. November 29. 1918: combined the real elements of leader do today, were the Sixteenth infantry. "On October 17. 1918, I recommend ship and he showed thes* :;ame quali now stationed at Fort Jay, Governor©s ed you for promotion to the grade ties when he comman-ied a brigade Island, and the Eighteenth infantry, of major general, basing; my recom- and division. He was the type of stationed at Fort Hamilton In Brook leader who could always be relied Ends Notable Career in Army lyn and Fort Wadsworth on Staten Island. upon to take his objective, and the After the bat lea of St. Mihiel and taking of objectives is the real busi Meuse-Argonne, General Parker was ness of war. The officer to whom Heading Largest Command again cited and was assigned to com this refers is Brig. Gen. Frank Park mand the First division. October 17. er, who commanded continuously 1918. He was cited for his command under me throughout the war, the San Antonio, Texas, Sept. 27. Maj. pmeaeparunent, with headquarters at of tlte First division in its last of. Manila, in charge of all our military Eighteen Infantry. First brigade (in On. Frank Parker, United States and retainned command of the fantry) and the First division." army, distinguished son of George activities in the Near Ea*t. division until two weeks after the town, S. C., will relinquish leadership As the "flying general." General Armisu©c*. Elsewhere General Summerall has of the largest military command in Parker surveyed thoroughly the en Next General Parker command the stated General Parker was "one of the United States September 30, when tire Philippine archipelago from the First division in Germany and ac the ablest if not the ablest fighting he passes to the retired list of the air and established 50 new flying companied that organization back to leader that came under my observa army, having reached the statutory re fields. He discovered a new volcano the United States in August, 1919. tion. His high soldierly character, his tirement age of 64 years, after more which has been named Parker vol unswerving sense of duty, his un than 46 years in the- uniform of his cano. questioned loyalty, affection for his One of the two officers remaining on Meanwhile, he had graduated from men, dominant leaderhip make him country. the American Artillery School of Ap of rare value to the service. As commanding general of the Third the active lUt of the Regular Army who commanded a division during the plication at Trier, Germany. "He has earned the gratitude of army, as well as of the Eighth corps World war in France, General Parker Ordered to France in November, area, with headquarters at Fort Sam 1919, he was a student officer at the the country" Houston her*. General Parker sue-; shares this distinction with General Ecole de Guerre (French Superior General Summerall in 1925 stated, ceeded Maj. Gen. Johnson Hagood last Douglas MacArthur, former chief of "I rale General Parker as superior stalf of the army, who commanded School of W»r>, the French center of under all headings I place him No. March. His Third army stretching the Forty-second (Rainbow) division high studies ©French War college), and across 14 Southern and Gulf states, the ^ench Artillery center at Metr. 1 on the list of 44 brigadier general." from the Atlantic Seaboard to Cali overseas. Lieut. Gen. Robert Lee Builard A native of Georgetown county. He was an assistant professor at the said, "General Parker has demon fornia. South Carolina, General Parker was Ecole de Guerre in 1920-21. As interpreter and aide he accom strated his merit in teaching, train At his own request, early this year, born September 21, 1872, and was at ing in camps, in campaign and in General Parker, returning from com tending the University of South Caro panied Marshal Foch on a tour of the battle none better." "He merits mand of the army©s Philippine depart lina when appointed to the United United States in the fall of 1921 and ment, was assigned to command the was then detailed for duty with the immediate promotion." "I feel that States Military academy from his na historical branch of the Army War few, perhaps none, did more or bet famous Fightin© First division, with tive state in 1890. Upon graduation GEN. FRANK PARKER. ter fighting than he in France." headquarters at Fort Hamilton Brook from West Point in IKM. he was com college, Washington, D. C. He was lyn, N. Y.( the historic outfit he went graduated from the Infantry school, During the World war and since missioned a second lieutenant of in mendation upon the efficiency of General Parker has always been through the World war with and com fantry, but upon his own request was Fort Benning. Ga., in 1922 and from manded in France prior to and after the general service school. Fort Leav- your service with the American Ex recommended as successor by his transferred in October of the same peditionary force*. The war depart next superior. Maj. Gen. John L. the Armistice. year to the cavalry. enworth, Kas.. in 1923. He graduated from the Army War college, Wash ment discontinued all promotions of Hines recommended him in July, 1918, But when Maj. Gen. Johnson Ha His first service was with the Fifth general officers after the signing of to succeed himself in command of United States cavalry at Fort Sam ington, D. C., in 1924 and became di good relinquished command of the rector of the command course there. the Armistice, and I regret that you the First infantry brigade; Maj. Third army, the war department se Houston and Fort Brown, Texas, will not therefore receive the de Gen. Summerall. October. 1918, to lected General Parker to take over where he was on duty when the Span Appointed a brigadier general of the Regular Army in January. 1924, served recognition of your excellent succeed himself in command of the this extensive command. General ish-American war broke out. He ac services," First division; Maj. Gen. Hanson E. Parker thus became the only army of companied his regiment to Tampa, General Parker assumed comand of the Second brigade, First division, at The minister of war. Republic of Ely, in 1827, to succeed himself as ficer to have command a field army Fla.. and then Huntsville, Ala. Or commandant of the War college; lor the second lime since the creation dered to Puerto Rico in November, Madison Barracks, Sacketts Harbor, France, August 1921, cites in army N. Y. He next was appointed assistant orders: Maj. Gen. G. B. Duncan to succeed of the present four-army plan of the 1898. he served there for the ensuing himself as commander of the Seventh vrar department. He had commanded two years, part of the time as collector chief of staff. G-3, in charge of op "Frank Parker General of the erations and training, war department American army, former commander Corps area. the Second army at Chicago in 1933, of customs at Arecibo. Liddell Hart In his "Reputations From 1900 to 1903 General Parker general staff, in April, 1927. Two years of the Eighteen Infantry regiment, before going to the Philippines. later, following his elevation to major former commander of the First In Ten Years After" writes of General Important command poet and other was stationed at West Point as in Parker©s old outfit, the First division: tactical exercises held on a large scale structor in the department of modern general in February, 1929, General fantry brigade, former commander of Parker became commanding general, the First division of the army of the "When he (General Pershing) visit early this fall in the Southwest were languages, He was next ordered to ed the battlefields after the war, he believed to have been among the France as a student officer at the Sixth corps area, with headquarters United States General officer of the at Chicago, He assumed the additional finest attainment* after rendering, as stood silent awhile before the monu factors that led the war department to cavalry school at Saumur, graduating ment of the mound at Montdidier to name General Parker for this highly in 1004. Upon his return from Europe duty of commander of the Second field representative of the American army, army, embracing military activiU»» of at French general headquarters, the the First American division. At I important post. His extensive com he served as militry attache at Cara length, in a voice husky with emo bat experience, eminently fitting him cas. Venezuela, and Buenos Aires. the Middle West and the Great Lakes greatest service, showed successively. region, with the creation of th« four- at the head of a regiment, a brigade, tion, he said. "That was the best for this work, includes the entire Argentina, until 1906. damned division in any army/ It was period of American active participa Joining the Eleventh United States army plan in 1933. and a division, admirable energy and General Parker was in command of leadership." tribute the heart." tion on the Western Front in France, cavalry in October, 1906, he accom- Colonel Wheeler, cavalry, under beginning with his assignment to com panid the regiment to Cuba and for! the Philippine department of the army Gen Charles P.