Howard Parrish

Last updated
Howard Parrish
Born1891 (1891)
Died1965 (aged 7374)
Buried
AllegianceUnited States
Service/branchFlag of the United States Army.svg  United States Army
Rank Colonel
Unit Transportation Corps, Delta Base Section, 6th Port Headquarters
Commands 6th Port Headquarters
Battles/wars
Awards

Howard Parrish, was a United States Army officer who saw service during World War I and World War II. During World War II, he commanded the Sixth Port Headquarters, Transportation Corps. [1]

Contents

As Commander of the 6th Port, Col. Howard Parrish arrived at Casablanca on 19 November 1942 with the first troops, the 382nd and the 384th Battalions. He was in command until mid-January 1943, still remaining with the 6th Port and was renamed Commander in 1945. [2] [3] [4]

Early life

Howard Parrish was born in 1891, the son of Jesse Absolom Parrish.and his wife.  He had two brothers, Roscoe T. Parrish, a postal worker who served in United States Navy, and Aubern Parrish.  The family was raised in Valdosta, Georgia. [5] [6]

World War I

in 1918, with the rank of Lieutenant Parrish arrived in France with his regiments. [7]

At the conclusion of World War I, Parrish held the rank of captain. [8] For his service Parrish received a Silver Star and from being wounded in the line of duty, he received a Purple Heart. [9] [5]

Career 1918-1940

In 1918, Parrish was assistant cashier of the Valdosta Bank & Trust Co. [7] in 1919, he relocated to work at a bank in Atlanta. [10] He was the vice president of the Atlanta Commercial Bank for 10 years, and continued as manager of the Marietta Street branch. [11]

World War II, 6th Port Headquarters

In 1940, Col Howard Parrish was called back into service for the United States Army. He was stationed at Jacksonville, Florida and Fort Hamilton. [8] With his wife and son, Howard Parrish, Jr., he moved to Jacksonville, Florida where he was on active duty with headquarters of Second Military Area. [12] He was then appointed as the commander of the 6th Port Headquarters, bringing the first large contingent of service troops to Casablanca. They landed on 19 November 1942. While the two port battalions, 382nd and 384th, did not have experience or training working on a water front, within a short time they began working. The 6th Port operated directly under Col. Walter J. Muller, General Patton's G-4 of the Western Task Force. Officers of General Patton's staff issued direct orders to 6th Port officers, which Col. Parrish considered it to not be in the general order of command, which created some friction between Muller and Parrish. On December 2, 1942, Muller put Colonel Tank in charge of port operations with Parrish remaining until January 1943. Col. Parrish questioned and protested this order, and appealed it to the higher command, the Chief of Transportation. [3] While the protest did not result in any changed in his favor, in December 1945, Parrish was renamed commander of the 6th Port. [13] [14] [15] [16]

In 1943, Parrish received the Legion of Merit "for exceptional meritorious conduct in performance of outstanding service" while serving in North Africa. [8]

Personal

Colonel Parrish had one son, Howard Parrish Jr., who attended George Tech. [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VIII Corps (United Kingdom)</span> World War-era British Army formation

VIII Corps was a British Army corps formation that existed during the First and Second World Wars. In the latter, it took part in the Normandy Campaign in 1944, where it was involved in Operation Epsom and Operation Goodwood. It would later play a supporting role in Operation Market Garden and finish the war by advancing from the Rhine to the Baltic Sea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VI Corps (United States)</span> Military unit

The VI Corps was activated as VI Army Corps in August 1918 at Neufchâteau, France, serving in the Lorraine Campaign. Constituted in the Organized Reserves in 1921, it was allotted to the Regular Army in 1933 and activated on 1 August 1940 at Fort Sheridan, Illinois. VI Corps took part in some of the most high-profile operations in World War II.

An army group is a military organization consisting of several field armies, which is self-sufficient for indefinite periods. It is usually responsible for a particular geographic area. An army group is the largest field organization handled by a single commander – usually a full general or field marshal – and it generally includes between 400,000 and 1,000,000 soldiers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">8th Infantry Division (United States)</span> Military unit

The 8th Infantry Division, ("Pathfinder") was an infantry division of the United States Army during the 20th century. The division served in World War I, World War II, and Operation Desert Storm. Initially activated in January 1918, the unit did not see combat during World War I and returned to the United States. Some units would serve in the American Expeditionary Force to Siberia. Activated again on 1 July 1940 as part of the build-up of military forces prior to the United States' entry into World War II, the division saw extensive action in the European Theatre of Operations. Following World War II, the division was moved to West Germany, where it remained stationed at the Rose Barracks in Bad Kreuznach until it was inactivated on 17 January 1992.

The Mediterranean Theater of Operations, United States Army (MTOUSA), originally called the North African Theater of Operations, United States Army (NATOUSA), was a military formation of the United States Army that supervised all U.S. Army forces which fought in North Africa and Italy during World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">18th Infantry Regiment (United States)</span> Military unit

The 18th Infantry Regiment ("Vanguards") is an infantry regiment of the United States Army. The regiment currently exists with one active battalion, under the U.S. Army Regimental System; regimental designation is used only for historical tradition, and there is no active regimental headquarters. The 18th Infantry once had up to four active battalions, but three have been inactivated:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RAF Grafton Underwood</span>

Royal Air Force Grafton Underwood or more simply RAF Grafton Underwood is a former Royal Air Force station located 4 miles (6.4 km) northeast of Kettering, Northamptonshire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">X Corps (United Kingdom)</span> Military unit

X Corps was a corps of the British Army that served in the First World War on the Western Front before being disbanded in 1919. The corps was re-formed in 1942 during the Second World War and saw service in the North African Campaign and the Italian Campaign where it came under command of the US Fifth Army and the British Eighth Army.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">XIII Corps (United Kingdom)</span> Corps-sized formation of the British Army during the First and Second World Wars

13th Corps was a corps-sized formation of the British Army that fought on the Western Front during the First World War and was reformed for service during the Second World War, serving in the Mediterranean and Middle East throughout its service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">6th Air Refueling Squadron</span> Unit of the US Air Force, part of the 60th Operations Group

The 6th Air Refueling Squadron is part of the 60th Air Mobility Wing at Travis Air Force Base, California. It operates the McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender aircraft conducting mobility, and air refueling missions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">384th Air Refueling Squadron</span> Military unit

The 384th Air Refueling Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit, stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, where it is assigned to the 92d Operations Group and operates the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft conducting air refueling missions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">384th Air Expeditionary Group</span> Military unit

The 384th Air Expeditionary Group is a provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command. The 384 AEG may be activated or inactivated at any time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Francis Uncles</span> United States Army general (1898–1967)

John Francis Uncles was a lieutenant general in the United States Army. He attained prominence as commander of the United States VII Corps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">377th Rifle Division</span> Military unit

The 377th Rifle Division was raised in 1941 as an infantry division of the Red Army, and served for the duration of the Great Patriotic War in that role. It began forming in August 1941 in the Urals Military District. It followed a very similar combat path to that of the 374th and 376th Rifle Divisions. It joined the fighting front in December with the 4th Army, and then briefly came under command of 2nd Shock Army, but soon moved to the 59th Army along the Volkhov River, and continued to serve in this Army's battles near Leningrad until early 1944. The division took very heavy casualties during the Lyuban Offensive in several attempts to relieve the beleaguered 2nd Shock Army. After rebuilding the division held the Army's bridgehead over the Volkhov during 1943, and finally advanced during the Leningrad–Novgorod Offensive in January 1944, taking part in the assault that liberated Novgorod. During the spring the division saw heavy fighting in the battles for Narva before moving south for the summer offensive into the Baltic states. In September it won a battle honor in the liberation of Valga, and in October also received the Order of the Red Banner for its part in the liberation of Riga. The division ended the war in Latvia, helping to contain and reduce the German forces trapped in the Courland Pocket, and was disbanded later in 1945.

The 382nd Rifle Division was raised in 1941 as an infantry division of the Red Army, and served for the duration of the Great Patriotic War in that role. It began forming on August 10 in the Siberian Military District. It joined the fighting front in December with the new 59th Army along the Volkhov River. Apart from a few weeks in 1944 the division served in either the Volkhov Front or the Leningrad Front for the entire war. It suffered horrendous casualties after being encircled in the swamps and forests near Lyuban and was severely understrength for many months afterwards while serving on a relatively quiet front. It remained in the line in the dismal fighting near Leningrad until early 1944 with little opportunity to distinguish itself, and the division did not finally earn a battle honor until late January, 1944, during the Leningrad–Novgorod Offensive. Following this the division was moved to the Karelian Isthmus and entered the summer offensive against Finland in the reserves of Leningrad Front before being assigned to the 23rd Army. Following the Finnish surrender it was redeployed westward, helping to mop up pockets of enemy forces in the Baltic states in early 1945. The 382nd ended the war in Latvia, helping to contain and reduce the German forces trapped in the Courland Pocket, and was officially disbanded in February, 1946.

The 384th Rifle Division was raised in 1941 as an infantry division of the Red Army, and served twice during the Great Patriotic War in that role. It was first formed on August 10 in the Siberian Military District. It joined the fighting front in February, 1942 with the 11th Army in the fighting north of the German force that was encircled at Demyansk. The division continued to take part in several savage battles in this area into the summer and autumn of that year, gradually being worn down in this attritional struggle on a secondary front until it was disbanded in December to provide replacements for other units. In the buildup to the Soviet invasion of Manchuria a new 384th was formed in the Far Eastern Front in late 1944. The new division fought with enough distinction that it was awarded the Order of the Red Banner, and continued to serve briefly into the postwar period.

The 6th Port of Embarkation, Headquarters Company was a combat service support unit of the United States Army serving the Transportation Corps and the Quartermaster Corps during World War II, under the command of Col. R. Hunter Clarkson, Transportation Officer of the Delta Base Section.

Robert Hunter Clarkson, was a native of Scotland, who served as a major in the British Armed Forces in World War I and as commander of the Sixth Port Headquarters, Transportation Corps in the US Army in World War II. Under his command, the 6th Port was awarded the Meritorous Service Medal for superior performance in control and execution of its port missions. Clarkson was awarded the Legion of Merit, among many awards. He was commissioned a brigadier general in 1949.

Howard Daniel Becker was an American painter and watercolorist. He served in World War II in 6th Port Headquarters as documentary artist, assigned by Col. R. Hunter Clarkson, painting and sketching the history of the occupation and reconstruction of the Port of Marseille. His watercolor painting "Assembly Plant", Cazes, Morocco, 1946, appears in "Soldiers Serving the Nation," a book of the works of artists in the field during World War II, drawn from The US Army Art Collection edited by General Gordon R. Sullivan, U.S. Army Chief of Staff. Several of Becker's pieces were retained by the Historical Properties Section in Washington, D.C..

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leslie D. Carter</span> U.S. Army major general

Leslie D. Carter was a career officer in the United States Army. A native of Salem, Virginia, he served from 1917 to 1956 and was a veteran of World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. A Cavalry officer, Carter attained the rank of major general, and his command assignments included the 44th Armored Regiment, Army General Ground School, and 25th Infantry Division, and acting commander of Second United States Army.

References

  1. "Roll of Honor". Stars and Stripes . 31 July 1943. p. 6. Retrieved 15 Aug 2022.
  2. Bykofsky, Joseph (1957). The United States Army in WWII. Office of the Chief of Military History, Department of the Army. p. 154. ISBN   9780758173713.
  3. 1 2 "US Army TS Transportation 3: Chapter 4: North Africa". tothosewhoserved.org. Retrieved 2022-08-15.
  4. United States; Army; Transportation Corps; 6th Port (1945). Men on the job. Dijon, France: Berthier. OCLC   5856635.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  5. 1 2 "Nation's Roll of Honor, Southern Heroes Who Have Given Their All For Old Glory". The Atlanta Semi-Weekly Journal. 31 Dec 1918. Retrieved 22 Aug 2022.
  6. "Roscoe T. Parrish, Postal Worker, Dies". The Atlanta Constitution. 13 May 1941. p. 22. Retrieved 29 Aug 2022.
  7. 1 2 "Lieut. Howard Parrish has arrived safely in France with his regiment". The Macon News. 4 Jun 1918. p. 2. Retrieved 29 Aug 2022.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "Parrish Wins Merit Medal In North Africa". The Atlanta Constitution. 8 Aug 1943. p. 6. Retrieved 29 Aug 2022.
  9. "Editor & Publisher". Editor & Publisher. 76 (27–39): 28. 1943 via Google Books.
  10. "Howard Parrish Goes With Atlanta Bank". The Macon News. 17 Aug 1919. p. 18. Retrieved 29 Aug 2022.
  11. "Atlanta's Largest and Oldest Bank The Atlanta and Lowry National Bank announces the purchase of the ATLANTA COMMERCIAL BANK". The Atlanta Constitution. 5 Oct 1929. p. 6. Retrieved 29 Aug 2022.
  12. "Personals". The Atlanta Constitution. 3 Nov 1940. p. 29. Retrieved 29 Aug 2022.
  13. "Parish Takes Over Marseille Duties". Stars and Stripes . 2 Dec 1945. Retrieved 15 Aug 2022.
  14. "French Get Back 2 Marseille Piers". Paris Stars And Stripes. 9 Jan 1946. p. 4. Retrieved 15 Aug 2022.
  15. "Port Track Finals List 125 Entries, Band Will Play". Southern France Stars and Stripes. 25 May 1945. p. 14. Retrieved 15 Aug 2022.
  16. "DBS, Staging Area Carry On". Southern France Stars and Stripes. 15 Aug 1945. p. 2. Retrieved 12 Aug 2022.