Larry Parks of New Sewickley Township knew no one from Juprelle
a town about an hour’s drive from Brussels
Probably a con artist attempting to trick him out of money
shocked at its contents — pieces of a puzzle that would soon answer long-held questions about his late uncle
Larry was born 11 years after David’s death
sepia-toned photographs of a handsome man in his early 20s
No one in the family spoke about David after he died
1920; second eldest of six children of Percy and Clara Wahl Parks of New Sewickley — four boys
David grew up on his parents’ dairy farm on Pine Run Road
A popular student at then Freedom High School
he acted in all the school plays and sang in the choir
he went to the main campus of Pennsylvania State University to study agricultural science
Joe Parks — Larry’s father — followed the same path two years later
even formed a highly successful agricultural co-op at the college
Larry’s not sure whether his uncle enlisted or was drafted
but David was among an estimated 16 million Americans who served
where the Army Air Corps built one of hundreds of air bases to meet the need for pilots
Cadets started basic flight training there in August
David was commissioned a first lieutenant with the U.S
Army Air Forces and assigned to the 749th Squadron
he continued training exercises at bases in Texas
Both had movie-star good looks; their wedding picture could have been lifted from a glamour magazine
a bomber dubbed “Flying Fortress” and “battleship of the skies,” capable of sparring with the German Luftwaffe
the 65,000-pound behemoth had four engines with multiple gun mounts
could reach top speed of 287 mph; range of 3,750 miles; and carry a 9,600-pound bomb load
According to a memoir penned in 1994 by the late Sgt
assistant radio operator and tail gunner on David’s nine-man crew
Orientation filled initial weeks with classes in anti-aircraft defenses
air-sea rescues and escape and evasive maneuvers
21 was the 457th Bomber Group’s first combat mission
the crew raided an airfield and factory in Gdynia
that manufactured German Focke-Wulf 190 fighter planes
Allied forces nicknamed it the “butcher bird” after the shrike
a predatory bird that impales prey on thorns before consuming it
The first of 33 bombers of the 457th took off at 7:45 a.m
All were aloft within an hour for an 11-hour mission Kerr said “was to be the longest combat mission in time and distance heretofore attempted by any Air Force.”
Much of it was over water — North and Baltic seas — a portion without fighter escorts because of the mission’s unusual length
conditions at the target were forecast to be clear
Merging cloud formations caused several pilots to abort and return to England
As soon as David’s B-17G dropped its bombs
the fighter was hit by ground fire that knocked out one of its four engines
But “after considerable effort,” Kerr wrote
David “got the damaged engine running again” enabling the bomber to rejoin the group
Kerr saw the waist gunner and radio operator strap on “chest chutes” to bail out
He did likewise after noticing the other waist gunner was badly injured or dead
jettisoned from the plane by the force of the explosion
“I noticed our airplane going down in three pieces — the tail section
Edward Quinn were captured as prisoners of war
Kerr spent 13 months at Stalag 17B near Krems
Kerr said Ellerbusch was “puzzled that the pilot had not jumped
There was a suggestion that his attempt to get the injured 2nd pilot out might have delayed too long any efforts to save himself.”
a knock came at the door of the Parks farm
Two uniformed military personnel stood on the porch
They had the unenviable task of telling Percy
Clara and David’s younger siblings that their beloved son and brother died in a plane crash
Initially listed as “missing in action,” his remains had been found
“just turned and went up to her room and wouldn’t come down for a while
Percy drove to State College to tell him the news in person and then brought his son home to help work the farm
“Dad and Grandma Clara took the death so hard,” Larry said
“They just didn’t talk about it,” one reason he knew so little about his uncle
“I had absolutely no idea where Uncle Dave was buried — none,” Larry said
Interment was somewhere overseas; that’s all the family knew
There was never any conversation about David,” he said — not with his father or grandparents — knowing how upsetting David’s death was
“We just didn’t ask questions and Dad never elaborated
Maybe if we would have asked Dad he would have offered more information.”
now 92 and residing in a nursing home in Ellwood City
would tell her nephew: “You just have no idea how hard it was when they came to the house and let them know.”
“Aunt Martha said every time she ran into Betty she was crying all the time,” said Denise Parks
“Seeing her (Martha) brought back memories of her husband.”
David’s body was “never able to be brought home because the family was told that it would cost $1,000 back in 1944
though both she and Larry questioned that our country would not repatriate its war dead
Compared to other wars fought on foreign soil
casualties sustained during World War I and II were staggering and bringing the dead home created a logistical nightmare
Some were hastily buried on the battlefield in World War I
but many families wanted remains shipped home
Congress created the American Battle Monuments Commission to resolve the conflict
Next of kin of both World War I and II were given the option of having remains returned for interment at a national or private cemetery or interred at an American military cemetery overseas near where the death occurred
ABMC operates and maintains 26 such cemeteries and 29 federal memorials
monuments and markers in 16 foreign countries
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
and the British dependency of Gibraltar; three memorials are in the U.S
visited Oak Grove Cemetery in Freedom to place flowers on husband Percy’s grave
But she had no grave on which to place flowers for her son
knew where David was buried and faithfully placed floral sprays on his grave every year
Approximately 4,000 miles across the Atlantic
a Belgian man sought information about David P
65-year-old Henri Hannon and his parents before him honored the fallen soldier none of them ever met
But they’ll never forget and will be eternally grateful for the sacrifices David and other Americans made for their freedom
a database project of a Dutch nonprofit to honor men and women buried in American war cemeteries overseas
Hannon researched the internet to find David’s relatives
a website launched in 1998 and owned by Ancestry.com to share and find burial information about family and friends
Denise contributed information about Larry’s family in hopes of finding more
Just a few days before the 74th anniversary of David’s death
“I see this letter addressed from Belgium,” Larry said
“I’m thinking it’s one of those scams like you get on the internet.”
Larry read the letter and gets emotional just retelling the story
“I came across by chance on your behalf via ‘Find A Grave,’” Hannon wrote
“I think that David’s brother Joseph is your father
It’s why I allowed myself to write but also to let you know that David your uncle is not alone here in Belgium.”
is buried in the American War Cemetery Ardennes in Belgium — Plot C
The 90-acre cemetery is the final resting place for 5,317 Americans; 65 percent airmen of the U.S
Nearly all graves are adopted by Belgian families
“the younger taking over from the older ones,” Hannon said
“It’s part of the tradition in Belgium,” Larry said
“They are expressing their gratitude for the American soldier coming over there and keeping them free
a tradition carried on for years and years.”
David’s grave is one of 10 or 11 that Hannon tends
A picture shows David’s marker — white cross draped with an American flag
All he requested was a “nice photo of David” to place on Fields of Honor's website and also wished to correspond with his family
my dad would have loved to know and talk with this man.”
Larry emailed Hannon to express gratitude for his communication and supplying a wealth of information about David — including Kerr’s memoir — that gives the family some closure and peace of mind
but especially for honoring his uncle all these years
“He had more information than we did through all his research.”
“None of the family knew the story of how he was shot down,” Denise said
The Parks now regularly communicate with Hannon
“We email back and forth all the time,” Larry said
Have Larry and Denise considered visiting Ardennes
I don’t know what it would cost to go to Belgium
Henri said he’d love to have us come over ..
“that something like this has happened after all these years.”
“We’re starting to put the puzzle together
and it’s going to look like a picture,” Larry said.