Honoring the Heroes We Lost: John Parks of the 4th Armored Division Gave His All During the Battle of the Bulge
Sergeant John H. Parks, of Mill Creek Indiana, a tank commander of the 3rd Platoon, B Company, 37th Tank Battalion, 4th Armored Division was originally listed as Missing in Action at Flatzbourhof, Luxembourg on December 23, 1944 (13 days after this photo was taken).
During the fight John perished instantly as he stood in his turret. Only two members of Parks' crew survived. After the Battle, Jimmie Leach searched John’s destroyed vehicle. A formal report later described the investigation: “Captain James H. Leach, Commanding Officer of Company B, inspected inside of the tank by flashlight but could see no casualties, but the tank was completely burned. Nothing but ashes remained inside the hull.”
Unable to locate the men, Leach followed procedure and reported John Parks and Ed Clark missing, though he knew both men had almost certainly perished. Coffy and Holland had verbally reported the fatalities. As for Coffy and Holland themselves, aid men evacuated the pair from Flatzbourhof for medical attention.
Sergeant John Parks enlisted at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana on January 31,1942 even though he qualified for a deferment. John and his two brothers all served in the US Army. The other two Parks brothers returned to Indiana after the war.
Sergeant Parks is memorialized on the Tablets of the Missing at the Luxembourg American Cemetery, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg. He was 25 years old. Lest We Forget.

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