35th Infantry Division Belgium

A study and living history group of the US 35th Infantry Division

Sgt. Curtis W. Parker

Curtis William Parker was born to Luther Leonard Parker and Nettie Pearl Chambers on May 1, 1923, in northeastern Oklahoma. He was the youngest of four children. Around 1936, when Curtis was entering his teens, his parents along with brother, Luther, and sisters, Audry (Dolly) and Lois, moved from Oklahoma to Mendocino County, settling in Ukiah.

While attending Ukiah High School he met and became close friends with Lloyd Hull. Lloyd is still alive and recalls his friend: "We were both shy boys, but we loved the outdoors. Curtis and I spent our leisure hours hunting, trapping and fishing in the area. During the summer, like many other Ukiah teenagers, we worked picking grapes or helping out at one of the local wineries.""Curtis introduced me to his first cousin, Cordie Gaches. It was love at first sight." Curtis and Lloyd spentg as much time together as they could. They even double-dated. Lloyd graduated from Ukiah High in 1942, joined the Army in 1943 and married Curtis' cousin, Cordie, in 1944. They were married for 61 years.

Curtis graduated from Ukiah High a year later, in June 1943, and in August he enlisted in the Army. During that same month, his way from private to sergeant, and in August of 1944 he was sent overseas to the European Theatre.
Curtis' brother, Luther, was also in the Army in a field artillery unit. Luther injured his back and was sent home with a medical discharge shortly after Curtis was sent to Europe. His recently widowed father moved from Low Gap Road to a house on Boonville Road. It was there he received the news that his son Curtis was missing in action in Belgium.

The newspaper makes note of this fact: "Len Parker of Boonville Road received word Sunday that his son, Sergeant Curtis Parker, had been missing in action since December 30. Sergeant Parker Was with the Third Army in Belgium and went overseas last August."But Curtis wasn't missing. He was dead. By the time his family was notified that he had been killed in action, he was burried in the temporary military cemetery of Foy, near Bastogne. In 1948, he was interred in the Henri-Chapelle Cemetery. There Sergeant Parker found his final resting place among his buddies, far away from home and friends and family.

Curtis Parker was Killed In Action on December 30, 1944. He fought with the 3rd Battalion, 134th Infantry Regiment. The 3rd Battalion was about to launch an attack on December 30th against the German defensive line east of Lutrebois. Unfortunatly, the Germans attacked a couple of hours earlier. This caused a lot of problems for the 3rd Battalion. During this German offensive, Curtis got hit and he died of his wounds in the Lutrebois area.

Sgt. Parker before the war at his hometown Ukiah.

Sgt. Parker's family.

Standing from left to right: One of Sgt. Parker's sisters, his brother Luther, Sgt. Parker and his other sister.

Sitting: His mother, Nettie and his father, Luther.

Sgt. Parker's tomb at Henri-Chappelle American Cemetery and Memorial

(Plot E, Row 16, Grave 66)

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