George M. Parker (United States Army officer)

George Marshall Parker Jr. (April 17, 1889 – October 23, 1968) was an officer of the United States Army with the rank of major general. General Parker commanded the Philippine II Corps during the Battle of Bataan.

George Marshall Parker Jr.
Born(1889-04-17)April 17, 1889
Sac City, Iowa[1]
DiedOctober 23, 1968(1968-10-23) (aged 79)
Portland, Oregon
Allegiance United States of America
Service/branch United States Army
Years of service1910–1946
Rank Major General
Commands heldPhilippine II Corps
Battles/warsPancho Villa Expedition
World War I
World War II
AwardsDistinguished Service Medal

Biography

Parker was born and raised in Iowa and was commissioned a 2nd lieutenant of Infantry in the U.S. Army in 1910. He rose to the rank of major during World War I. Parker was a distinguished graduate of the Command and General Staff School in 1923 and graduated from the Army War College in 1925. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in October 1934 and to colonel in January 1939.[2]

Parker was assigned to the Philippines shortly before the Japanese invasion and was promoted to brigadier general in April 1941.

World War II

On November 4, 1941, shortly before the Japanese invasion of the Philippines, Parker was assigned the command of the South Luzon Force, which consisted of the 41st Division, 51st Division and the Battery A of 86th Field Artillery Regiment of the Philippine Scouts.[3] The 41st Division was centered around Nasugbu, Batangas and Tagaytay Ridge to meet any landings by the Japanese on the western shores of Southern Luzon, while the 51st was assigned on the eastern shores of in the event the Japanese would land in the vicinity of Lamon Bay.

On December 23, two weeks after the Japanese landings, the SLF was ordered to Bataan as General Douglas MacArthur activated War Plan Orange. On December 24 Parker was appointed commander of the Bataan Defense Force (BDF) and promoted to major general. On January 6, 1942, the BDF was converted to the Philippines II Corps, during the Battle of Bataan.[4]

Parker surrendered the II Philippine Corps on April 9, 1942 and was a prisoner of war until the Japanese surrender in August 1945. He was one of 18 American Army generals captured in the Philippines.

General Parker retired from the Army on September 30, 1946. He moved to Oregon and died at a nursing home in Portland.[5][6] He was interred at the Mount Crest Abbey Mausoleum in Salem, Oregon on October 25, 1968.[1]

Decorations
Army Distinguished Service Medal[7]
Prisoner of War Medal (posthumous)
Mexican Border Service Medal
World War I Victory Medal
American Defense Service Medal with "Foreign Service" clasp
Bronze star
 Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with one campaign star
World War II Victory Medal
Bronze star
 Philippine Defense Medal with service star

Dates of rank
No insignia in 1910 Second lieutenant, Regular Army: May 18, 1910
First lieutenant, Regular Army: July 1, 1916
Captain, Regular Army: May 17, 1917
Major, National Army: June 7, 1918
Major, Regular Army: July 1, 1920
Lieutenant colonel, Regular Army: October 1, 1934
Colonel, Regular Army: January 1, 1939
Brigadier general, Army of the United States: April 19, 1941
Major general, Army of the United States: December 18, 1941
Major general, Retired List: September 30, 1946

Source: U.S. Army Register, 1948.[8]

References
  1. "George M. Parker Jr". Standard Certificate of Death. No. 68–015100. State of Oregon, Board of Health, Public Health Service. November 12, 1968.
  2. Official Army Register. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. January 1, 1944. p. 713. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  3. Alcaraz, Ramon (3 November 1941). "Diary of Ramon Alcaraz - November 4, 1941". The Philippine Diary Project. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
  4. "Biography of Major-General George Marshall Jr. Parker (1889 – 1968), USA". Generals.dk. Retrieved 2012-11-12.
  5. "Gen. George M. Parker Dead; Participant in Bataan March" (PDF). The New York Times. October 25, 1968. p. 47. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  6. "Deaths Elsewhere: Gen. Parker, Bataan Hero". The Washington Post. October 26, 1968. p. B8. ProQuest 143368822. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  7. "Valor awards for George M. Parker, Jr. | Military Times Hall of Valor". Militarytimes.com. 2010-07-04. Archived from the original on 2013-01-28. Retrieved 2012-11-12.
  8. United States Army Register. 1948. Vol. 2. pg. 2374.


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