James Robert Parker

"Jim"

Marine Corps Reserve | Service Number 983625

Born

December 24, 1925
in Copiah County, MS

Parents

James Rosia Parker
Myrtle (Barker) Parker

School

Hazlehurst High School (1944)

Pre-War Employment

Recent graduate

Entered Service

May 31, 1944
at Jackson, MS

Joined First Battalion

February 27, 1945
from 24th Replacement Draft

Left First Battalion

March 1, 1945
Killed in action at Iwo Jima

Left Service

March 1, 1945
Killed in action

Home Address and Next of Kin

Address – home of NOK
Any explanation about NOK here

Service & Campaigns

Before joining battalion

Boot camp at MCRD San Diego with Second Recruit Battalion; outposted to Seventh Training Battalion, Infantry Training Regiment, Camp Pendleton. Assigned duty with the 24th Replacement Draft, attached to the Fourth Marine Division, for the Iwo Jima operation.

Iwo Jima

Outfit: C/1/24th Marines (MG Platoon)
Rank: Private
MOS: 605 (Heavy Machine Gunner)
Important Events:
February 27, 1945 – joined from 24th Replacement Draft
March 1, 1945 – killed in action (shrapnel wounds, left thigh and head) when a mortar shell exploded in his gun position
March 6, 1945 – buried in Plot 1, Row 23, Grave 1118, Fourth Marine Division Cemetery

Campaign Narrative

Individual Decorations

Medal
Purple Heart

Campaign
March 1, 1945

Citation

I remember talking to Jim. Said we were really getting hit and he says, “Yeah, we sure as hell are,” and he says, “I’ve got to join my machine gun group,” so he jumped up out of my hole and ran maybe 15, 20 yards over to another hole where his machine gunner was and in just a matter of a couple minutes after that, that a mortar round fell in that hole with him and the rest of that crew, and so Jim Parker and Philip Baldwin were both killed. I lost two good friends on the very first day in combat.