Charles John ParkerPrivate First ClassH CO, 2ND BN, 26TH MARINES, 1ST MARDIV United States Marine Corps 18 February 1948 - 23 October 1968 Royal Oak, Michigan Panel 40W Line 025 |
 
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The database page for Charles John Parker
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I served with the Marine Corps in Vietnam 65/66, C/1/9. After getting out of the Corps I became a police officer for the City of Royal Oak, Michigan. In the late 80's I was sent to take a report of a larceny. I was asked into the house where an elderly lady said someone had broken into the garage and stolen the radio out of her son's 1967 Plymouth. She had kept his car all these years saying he was killed in Vietnam in the Marine Corps. She showed me his picture on the front room wall. I hugged her for her loss and told her about my time in Vietnam. Years have passed and I'm retired. I read in the paper tonight that she had passed. Oh, how that war had broken her and my heart.
Dick Stanley |
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My wife Nancy and I lived across the street from Millie Parker (Charles' mother) in Royal Oak from 1987 to 2000. When her garage door was open I always noticed this old Plymouth covered up. Since I like old cars, one day I asked my other neighbor (who had known Millie for over 40 years) about the car and he told me it was her son Charlie's who was killed in Vietnam. She kept it all those years to never forget him. My neighbor also told me the day when the Marines came to tell her that Charlie died and how terrible it was. I often thought how sad it was for her all those years having that car and not her son. Having been a kid during the Vietnam war I knew about all the losses but seeing her living alone every day often brought the true reality of that horrific period back to me. I'm glad now that she is resting in Peace.
Rick Griffith |
A Note from The Virtual WallAccording to the 2/26 Command Chronology for October 1968, at 1130 on 08 Oct 1968 Echo Company engaged an NVA element at XD987688, incurring 1 dead and 17 wounded. Between 1400 and 1730 Hotel Company engaged what appeared to be the parent NVA force defending a hill at XD988689, about 150 meters northeast of the Echo engagement. Hotel Company had two killed and 11 wounded in the action. Seventeen dead NVA soldiers were found after the engagement ended, and Hotel 2/26 "also observed numerous bodies being drug away" by the retreating NVA.One of Hotel's wounded Marines died of his wounds two weeks later. The four men who died were
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With all respect
Jim Schueckler, former CW2, US Army
Ken Davis, Commander, United States Navy (Ret)
Memorial first published on 01 Dec 2005
Last updated 08/10/2009