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 NC State University Libraries generally claims only physical ownership of most Special Collections materials. These materials are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. Libraries staff are unable to advise on copyright and other legal matters; the user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Helpful resources for assessing copyright include Cornell Libraries' "Copyright Services: Copyright Term and the Public Domain" and copyright.gov. This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information about identifiable living individuals, which may be protected under federal or state laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that there may be legal ramifications for disclosing this information.
The University Archives operates in accordance with the State Public Records Act, with unrestricted access to records not covered by state and federal statutes and regulations.
[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.
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[Identification of item], Reid Grover Parks Papers, MC 00378, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC
The NC State University Libraries generally claims only physical ownership of most Special Collections materials. These materials are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. Libraries staff are unable to advise on copyright and other legal matters; the user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Helpful resources for assessing copyright include Cornell Libraries' "Copyright Services: Copyright Term and the Public Domain" and copyright.gov. This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information about identifiable living individuals, which may be protected under federal or state laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that there may be legal ramifications for disclosing this information.
The University Archives operates in accordance with the State Public Records Act, with unrestricted access to records not covered by state and federal statutes and regulations.