The collection contains a scrapbook, letters, photographs, clippings, and other items documenting the life and military service of Reid Grover Parks of Davidson County, North Carolina. The scrapbook includes certificates and diplomas from Parks' childhood, high school and college years. It also contains military records and numerous letters documenting his service as a pilot in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. In addition to the scrapbook, there are about 25 photographs and a few other items, mostly from the period of Parks' military service.
Reid Grover Parks (1923-1945) of Davidson County, North Carolina, served as a pilot in the United States Army Air Forces. Based in Foggia, Italy, from November 1944 to February 1945, he flew 28 missions as pilot of a B-24 Liberator bomber in the 325th Bomb Squadron.
Reid Grover Parks was born on 1923 July 31 to Henry Grover and Minnie Young Parks. He graduated from Southmont High School in the class of 1940 and Brevard College in the class of 1942. He was attending North Carolina State College in Raleigh in 1943 when he enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces. In 1944, he received his officers commission and pilot wings at Stuttgart Army Air Field in Stuttgart, Arkansas.
In the fall of 1944, Parks was assigned to the 325th B-24 Liberator Bomber Squadron at Foggia, Italy. There he received his 1st lieutenant commission and the Air Medal.
On 1945 February 17, as Parks was returning from a bombing run over Graz, Austria, his 28th sortie mission, engine problems developed which could not be remedied. Parks did, however, manage to return the crippled aircraft to within 40 miles of the air base at Foggia. When he realized that he could not reach the base, Parks ordered the crew of eight to bail out, but he elected to remain with the aircraft and attempt a crash landing. In this attempt, Parks was fatally injured, but the plane did not burn. His body was recovered immediately and interred in Naples, Italy, until 1948, when the government returned the body to Lexington, North Carolina. It is interred in Beck's United Church of Christ cemetery.
The collection contains a scrapbook, letters, photographs, clippings, and other items documenting the life and military service of Reid Grover Parks of Davidson County, North Carolina. The scrapbook includes certificates and diplomas from Parks' childhood, high school and college years. It also contains military records and numerous letters documenting his service as a pilot in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. In addition to the scrapbook, there are about 25 photographs and a few other items, mostly from the period of Parks' military service.
This collection is arranged in three series: Scrapbook, Photographs, and Other Letters and Printed Material.
The nature of the NC State University Libraries' Special Collections means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. The NC State University Libraries claims only physical ownership of most Special Collections materials.
The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source.
This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which North Carolina State University assumes no responsibility.
[Identification of item], Reid Grover Parks Papers, MC 00378, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC
Gift of Ruth Parks, 2005 October 31 (Accession no. 2005.0013).
Processed by Anna Craft; Finding aid by Anna Craft, November 2006.
The collection is organized into three principal series:
The Reid Grover Parks scrapbook series contains a 12.5"x 14.75", 128-page scrapbook documenting the life of Reid Grover Parks, compiled by his family. The scrapbook contains photographs, diplomas, certificates, letters, and other materials documenting Parks' life and military service. Letters, primarily written by Parks to his family, make up the bulk of the material in the scrapbook. Envelopes are pasted into the book, letters have been removed and foldered.
1 archival box
The Reid Grover Parks photographs series includes 25 black and white photographs ranging in size from 1.5"x2" to 8"x10". Reid Parks is the subject of most of the photographs, the bulk of which are undated. Photos with dates are from 1944 and 1945.
1 archival box
The Reid Grover Parks Other Letters and Printed Materials series contains letters, newspaper clippings, and a Flight Lines booklet with pictures and information about the 74th Army Air Forces Flying Training Detachment.
1 archival box
This collection is open for research; access requires at least 48 hours advance notice. Because of the nature of certain archival formats, including digital and audio-visual materials, access to digital files may require additional advanced notice.
For more information contact us via mail, phone, or our web form.
Mailing address:
Special Collections Research Center
Box 7111
Raleigh, NC, 27695-7111
Phone: (919) 515-2273
[Identification of item], Reid Grover Parks Papers, MC 00378, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC
The nature of the NC State University Libraries' Special Collections means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. The NC State University Libraries claims only physical ownership of most Special Collections materials.
The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source.
This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which North Carolina State University assumes no responsibility.
