Major Floyd Bruce Parks (January 16, 1911 – June 4, 1942) was an officer in the United States Marine Corps

United States Marine Corps

The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...

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Biography

Born in Salisbury, Missouri

Salisbury, Missouri

Salisbury is a city in Chariton County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,726 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Salisbury is located at ....

, Parks was a member of the United States Naval Academy

United States Naval Academy

The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...

 class of 1934, and was appointed a Second Lieutenant in the Marine Corps June 1. He commanded Marine Fighting Squadron VMF-221

VMF-221

Marine Fighting Squadron 221 was a fighter squadron of the United States Marine Corps in World War II. During the war, they flew the Brewster Buffalo and after reconstitution in 1943, the venerable F4U Corsair...

 during the Battle of Midway

Battle of Midway

The Battle of Midway is widely regarded as the most important naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. Between 4 and 7 June 1942, approximately one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea and six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States Navy decisively defeated...

. Park's squadron was equipped with Brewster Buffalo

Brewster Buffalo

The Brewster F2A Buffalo was an American fighter aircraft which saw limited service early in World War II. Though the Buffalo won a competition against the Grumman F4F Wildcat in 1939 to become the US Navy's first monoplane fighter aircraft, it turned out to be a big disappointment...

 F2A-3 (Model B-439) fighter aircraft, which the U.S. Navy had turned over to the Marines after phasing them out of Navy service.

During the battle of Midway, Parks was killed in action on the first day of the battle on June 4, 1942, while leading his squadron against a superior force of Japanese

Empire of Japan

The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...

 fighters and bombers attacking the island. For his heroism, Major Parks was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross

Navy Cross

The Navy Cross is the highest decoration that may be bestowed by the Department of the Navy and the second highest decoration given for valor. It is normally only awarded to members of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard, but can be awarded to all...

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