Newspaper Page Text
Page 2A
Wed., Aug 19. 1998, llmnimi Times /mumil .
‘l’m a Navy man
Podge Parker recalls World War II Navy days
Bs EMILY JOHNSTONE
TIMK-S-JcHIWAISTAff
46Jgut* ss you can tell lam u Navy man."
That is easy to see as John B. Parker, more com
monly known about town as ' Podge", a nickname
given him several years ago by former Houston
Home Journal editor Bobby Branch, reminisces
about his days aboard Navy boats during World War
11.
‘ I loved the sea betlei than anything in the
world," said Parker.
"I worked 47 missions behind the lines.” he said.
"Most of our missions were worked at night." he
added. "We were night fighters."
During one of those missions, Parker had one of
the big guns at the front of the boat blow up in his
face.
"We just threw it over the side." said Parker. "It
really didn't hurt anything but my pride."
Parker was slated to received a Purple Heart for
his actions on that mission, but said he never went
to gel it.”
Those PT boats were some of the best boats ever
made, he said. “The riverboats used in the Vietnam
War were similar to them.”
The boats would slip out under cover of night
into enemy territory. Crew members worked the
large guns on deck.
At limes, fuel would begin running low on the
way back and crew members had to manually bring
it back in.
This, of course, meant the boat would move at a
much slower pace than the usual 20 inph. said
Parker, making them easy targets for the enemy.
"That is when the Air Corps would have to come
in and just circle us in the air to provide protection."
he said. “I don’t know what we would have done il
it had not been for those guys."
He was also on the boat that brought Gen.
Douglas MacArlhur out of New Guinea to Australia,
he said.
“I knew MacArthur. He was alright. He was arro-
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READY FOR ACTION This picture taken in
1943 in New Guinea shows "Podge" Parker
(foreground) aboard a PT boat he served upon
during World War 11. Also pictured are others
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The Parkers
gant. but he was high enough that it was alright!
said Parker.
After the wai. Parker returned home and married
his sweetheart. Dixie.
Later, the couple moved to St. Augustine. Fla.
While in Florida. Dixie worked as a nurse in a
hospital. Parker worked as a Navy policeman.
The Parkers moved to Perry in the early 19605.
Soon, he began working drugstore routes, deliv
ering medicines to shut-in patients.
"There were three drugstores then that were
locally owned," said Dixie Parker.
Today, her husband still makes those routes lor
Akin Pharmacy. He is a familiar sight cruising the
streets of Perry on his red motorbike
"He knows every street in Perry!" laughed his
wife. "Years ago. even the police would call and ask
him where certain streets were located
Parker said he enjoys visiting two local retire
ment homes. Autumn Terrace and Willow Ridge
The couple are members at St. Christopher's
Episcopal Church.
(Special Photo
members of the crew. The boat reportedly was
destroyed by an explosion not long after Parker
left the area.
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VGA grads named
SPtSCUJ ID IHf Times-Joubwal
The following local students
are spring graduates of the
University of Georgia: Lawren
Michelle Anderson. Alecia
Marie Ordoyne and Meredith
Ann Seward, all of Kathleen;
Daniel Lee Bailey. Lisa Sowell
Bledsoe, Nova Lea Davis. Glenn
Adelbert Deibcrt Jr., Joseph
Sidney Hawk Jr.. Alison Ailecn
Hooper, John Walker Hulbert,
Daniel Paul Strandburg, Jeri
Annie Thompson and Travis
Shaw Watson, all of Perry.
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Times Joumol Photo by Emily Johnstone
READY TO RIDE John B. "Podge" Parker is ready to ride
about town on his motorbike. He is a familiar sight to many as he
works a delivery route for a local pharmacy, taking medicines to
those who are not able to get out of the house.
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Obituary
Annise Greene
Funeral services for Annise
Greene. 49, of Perry were held
Aug. 13, at Watson-Hunt Chapel,
with burial following in the
Perry Memorial Gardens
Mrs. Greene was a Waycross
native and had lived in Perry
since 1965. She was a secretary
for Alltel and a member of Perry
United Methodist Church
Survivors include her daugh
ter Crystal Lynn Greene, and her
mother, Genevieve Clough, both
of Perry; a sister, Joanclle
Crosby and a brother, Gilbert
Clough, both of Macon.
Memorial donations may be
made to Hospice of Central
Georgia. PC). Box 6533, Macon,
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