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THE HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
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Special to the HHJ
Five midstate high school students, three of them from Houston County, have been named the win
ners of Robins Federal Credit Union’s Most Excellent Senior Team Scholarship. They are (from left) Kelly
Thornburg, a Northside High School student who plans to attend the University of Georgia in Athens and
will be a Pharmacy major; Carrie Oliver, a Northside High School student who will attend Georgia Institute
of Technology in Atlanta, where she intends to major in Biomedical Engineering; Ashley Damron, a Peach
County High School student who plans to attend the University of Georgia in Athens, where she intends
to major in Biology; Cara Burgess, a Houston County High School student who will be attending Mercer
University and will also be majoring in Political Science and International Affairs. Not pictured is Gary
Ashcroft, a Bleckley County High School student who plans to attend Brigham Young University in Provo,
Utah, where he will major in Political Science and International Studies.
o s
Memphis Belle's crew was
recognized as the first in
the U.S. Eighth Air Force
to survive 25 missions over
Europe during World War
I and return to the United
States.
Parker’s collection
includes autographed post
ers, framed pictures, sever
al small pieces of the plane
itself, and a copy of the
April 1941 issue of Esquire
magazine that featured
a fold-out painting that
inspired the plane’s famous
Petty Girl nose art.
The Memphis Belle was
named after Margaret Polk,
Morgan’s girlfriend at the
time.
“The crew was pretty
much split over what to
name the plane,” he said.
“Col. Morgan decided to
take the tail gunner, John
Quinlan, out and get him
drunk, and that’s how they
broke the tie and ended up
with the name.”
Parker’s collection also
includes signed memora
bilia from the Enola Gay,
the B-29 bomber that
dropped the atomic bomb
over Hiroshima, Japan; and
from the Doolittle Raid, the
flight of North American
B-25 Mitchell bombers that
launched the first raid over
Tokyo, Japan in World War
11.
How it started
Born in Dover, Del.,
Parker’s father worked as
a regional vice president
for the W.T. Grant chain of
department stores, and his
family moved up and down
the East Coast.
As a boy, he was an avid
fan of “Twelve O’Clock
High,” a popular 1960 s
television series that cen
tered on the exploits of B
-17 crews in the skies over
Europe. His uncle often
drove him to nearby air
shows, and his interest in
the Memphis Belle grew
from an early age, when
he brought home a model
of the plane from a Dover
drugstore.
In 1971, Parker was
studying business at
Monmouth University in
New Jersey when he was
drafted into the Air Force.
He spent 34 years in the
military, with four years
in the active service and
the remainder with the Air
National Guard. As a crew
chief, Parker was respon
sible for prepping several
aircraft for flight, includ
ing the F-100, the F-105G,
the F-4D, the F-15, and the
Top performance
‘Most people who are inter
ested in the Belle are always
asking why the girl’s swim
suit is blue on the left side
and red on the right. There’s
a real simple explanation for
that. The artist just ran out
of paint.’
—Glenn Parker
B-1. He retired as a chief
master sergeant early this
year.
He began collecting
Memphis Belle memora
bilia in the early 19705,
and started his collection
of Enola Gay treasures
in the 1980 s. Much of
Parker’s massive collection
of memorabilia is housed
inside the CONUS shop
on Watson Boulevard in
Warner Robins. Parker
operates his own business,
Majestic Frames, out of
the military-themed store.
Parker and retired Master
Sgt. George Pappas, an Air
Force and Marine veteran,
opened CONUS in July
2005.
“If it wasn’t for George,
I'd still be framing out of
my basement,” Parker said.
“He was selling all of this
stuff basically out of his
car, and we sat down and
agreed to open the shop.
It started basically with a
handshake.”
Three of Parker’s framed
pieces are on display at
the Pentagon art gallery,
including a commemora
tive plaque of the Memphis
Belle.
Parker and Pappas are
moving their businesses to
a new location along Moody
Road, near My Father’s
Place pizza. They plan to
open by early July.
Meeting a mentor
In the early 19905,
Parker was introduced to
Morgan in a hotel hallway
at a U.S. Eighth Air Force
Historical Society conven
tion in Atlanta. The two
quickly became fast friends,
and Parker and his wife
even visited the pilot at his
home in Asheville, N.C.
“When you end up meet
ing someone who'’s basi
cally your hero, you never
realize it, but you always
start by asking the ques
tions they’ve been asked a
hundred times before.”
Parker said Morgan was
often asked about the nose
art’s odd color scheme.
“Most people who are
interested in the Belle are
always asking why the
girl’s swimsuit is blue on
the left side and red on the
right,” he said. “There’s a
real simple explanation for
that.
“The artist just ran out
of paint.”
Parker said Morgan was
always gracious and hum
ble, willing to answer the
same questions over and
over again, or stop to sign
an autograph for anyone.
“He’s not the type of guy
that you would recognize,
unless you were at an air
show,” Parker said. “Most
people would never realize
they had just seen the cap
tain of the Memphis Belle.”
Although Morgan is
most often recognized for
his association with the
Memphis Belle, he also
flew a B-29 Superfortress,
Dauntless Dotty, on mis
sions over Japan.
History vs.
Hollywood
The Memphis Belle’s
famous story inspired
both a 1944 William Wyler
documentary and a 1990
Hollywood feature, star
ring an ensemble cast
that included Matthew
Modine, Harry Connick, Jr.
and Sean Astin. Although
Parker admits the 1990
film was entertaining, he’s
quick to point out that
filmmakers took generous
liberties with history.
“Almost everything you.
see in that movie actu
ally happened to at least
one crew in the Eighth
Air Force, Parker said.
“But it didn’t all happen
to the Memphis Belle, and
it didn’t all happen in one
mission.”
The film centers on a
fictionalized account of
the crew’s dangerous final
mission over Germany.
In fact, the Memphis
Belle’s final mission under
Morgan’s crew was over
Lorient, France in May
1943. Cast members met
with Morgan and his crew,
and Parker said Morgan
began a friendship with
his Hollywood counterpart,
LOCAL
Matthew Modine.
“As Col. Morgan used to
say,” Parker noted, ‘lt’s
a good movie, but it’s all
baloney’”
After the 116th Tactical
Fighter Wing at Dobbins
Air Reserve Base in
Marietta was moved to
Robins Air Force Base in
the mid-1990s and became
the 116th Bomb Wing,
Parker moved to the area.
Working as a production
supervisor for the wing, he
was instrumental in bring
ing Col. Morgan to Robins
to fly the B-1 bomber in
October 1999. In June
2000, one of the B-1 bomb
ers stationed at the base
was named in the historic
plane’s honor. :
Morgan thanked Parker
for the flight on the B-1
in his 2001 autobiography
“The Man Who Flew the
Memphis Belle: Memoir of
a WWII Bomber Pilot.”
In the book, Morgan
called the flight the “big
gest thrill,” and a “privi
lege.”
Morgan died in May
2004 after complications
from a fall. Parker was
asked to carry Morgan’s
ashes to his gravesite in
the Western Carolina State
Veterans Cemetery in
Black Mountain, N.C. The
last surviving member of
Morgan’s flight crew, radio
operator Robert Hanson,
died in October 2005. The
plane itself rests at the
National Museum of the
United States Air Force at
Wright-Patterson Air Force
Base in Ohio.
Parker said he still tries
to live by the example
Morgan left.
“He always told me ‘just
be yourself,’” he said. “He
was a what you see is what
you get-kind of guy.”
Parker and his wife, Dee,
live in Warner Robins.
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS
To submit your event for the
Community Calendar, fax the
details to (478) 988-1181, e-mail
to cperkins@evansnewspapers.
com or mail to Houston Home
Journal, P.O. Box 1910, Perry, GA
31069.
Today
* Perry High School graduation
ceremonies will be held at 8
p.m. in the Reaves Arena at the
Georgia National Fairgrounds &
Agricenter.
Saturday
*The Warner Robins Police
Department in cooperation with
the new Wal-Mart on Booth Road
will hold a special event for area
citizens from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in
the Wal-Mart parking lot. Members
of the Animal Control Division will
be holding a pet adoption in the
parking lot. Officers for the WRPD
Patrol Division will be conducting
car seat safety checks. Statistics
show that most child safety seats
are not installed properly. Traffic
officers will check the seats
and show parents how the seat
should be properly installed.
The detectives from the Criminal
Investigation Division will be
there to VIN etch cars. Vehicle
identification number etching is a
process in which the number is
chemically etched into the glass
windows on the vehicle. This
aids in the prevention of car theft.
Officers of the School Liaison Unit
will be fingerprinting children. The
fingerprints are placed in a booklet
for parents to file.
» Houston County Career and
Technology graduation ceremo
nies will be held at 9 a.m. in the
Reaves Arena at the Georgia
National Fairgrounds & Agricenter.
* Houston County High School
graduation ceremonies will be held
at 11 a.m. in the Reaves Arena at
the Georgia National Fairgrounds
& Agricenter.
* Northside High School gradua
tion ceremonies will be held at 3
p.m. in the Reaves Arena at the
Georgia National Fairgrounds &
Agricenter.
» Warner Robins High School
graduation ceremonies will be held
at 7 p.m.in the Reaves Arena at
the Georgia National Fairgrounds
& Agricenter.
Monday
* A Memorial Day service will be
held in honor of the nation's war
dead at 11 a.m., at the Perry
Memorial Gardens. Lelan R.
Callan, CMSGT, Retired; will be
the master of ceremonies. Susan
Agnew, Perry High School student
will sing the National Anthem,
and the JROTC will present the
colors. Participating will be the
Rev. Billy Key, Mayor Jim Worrall,
Dr. Vance B. Mathis, the Rev.
George Durham, vocalist Hayley
Green,and the American Legion
and V.F.W. Auxiliary. Josh Drew,
Perry High School, will play Taps.
All are invited to attend.
June 1
* The Warner Robins City Council
work session is scheduled for 4
p.m. in the upstairs conference
room, Warner Robins City Hall,
800 Watson Bivd.
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FRIDAY, MAY 26, 2006 ¢
June 3
The United Methodist Women
of Centerville United Methodist
Church will sponsor a tour of six
local gardens ending with a deli
cious lunch at the church social
hall located at 600 Houston Lake
Road in Centerville on Saturday
morning June 3. The tour of the
gardens will run from 9 a.m. until
noon with a salad lunch from
11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. Tickets
for the Garden Tour only may be
purchased at the gardens on the
day of the tour for $lO per person.
Lunch and garden tour tickets are
sls per person and lunch only is
$5. Deadline to purchase tickets
for tour and lunch or lunch only
is June 1. Contact any United
Methodist Woman for tickets, or .
call the church office at 953-3090.
The six gardens offer a variety of
styles and floral offerings. Come
be a part of this early summer
event, which raises money for
United Methodist mission projects.
Rain date will be June 10.
June 5
» The Warner Robins City Council
will meet at 6:30 p.m. in the coun
cil chamber, Warner Robins City
Hall, 800 Watson Blvd. A prelimi
nary meeting is scheduled for 5
p.m. in the upstairs conference
room.
June 7
* The Hospice Cancer Pad
group meets at 9 a.m. on the
first Wednesday of each month
(except July) in the fellowship
hall of First Baptist Church Perry.
Everyone is welcome. Call Helen
Cleland at 988-9845 for more
information.
June 9
* The Northside High School Class
of 1986 is having its 20-year ciass
reunion June 9 and 10. Please
contact the following people for
reunion event information as well
as to forward current contact infor
mation such as address, phone
number, and e-mail for yourself
and/or other classmates to Shawn
Buchanan at eaglefeather@cox.
net, 397-9186; or Bobby Melnick
at mel2nick@aol.com, 397-2342
June 10
* The Middle Georgia Firefighters
Fun Day and Competition will be
held from 10 am. to 6 p.m. at
the Peach Outlet mall in Byror
Activities will include a fire safety
house, fun for kids and bever
ages. There will be a firefighter's
competition for rapid dress,
tight squeeze, barrel roll and
bucket brigade. Houston County
Warner Robins and Perry Fire
Departments will be in the com
petition.
June 12
* The Houston County Board of
Education will hold its work ses
sion at 6:30 p.m. at Houston
County Career and Technology
Center, Warner Robins.
June 13
* The Houston County Board of
Education will hold its monthly
meeting at 1 p.m. at the board's
central office building in Perry.
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