Laverne Parrish

Infobox Military Person
name=Laverne Parrish
born= birth date|1918|7|16
died= death date and age|1945|1|24|1918|7|16
placeofbirth=Knox City, Missouri
placeofdeath=near San Manuel, Pangasinan, Philippines
placeofburial=


caption=Technician Fourth Grade Laverne Parrish
nickname=
allegiance= United States of America
branch=United States Army
serviceyears=
rank=Technician Fourth Grade
commands=
unit=161st Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division
battles=World War II
awards=Medal of Honor
relations=
laterwork=

Laverne Parrish (July 16 1918 – January 24 1945) was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II.

Biography

Parrish joined the Army from Ronan, Montana, and by January 18 1945 was serving as a technician fourth grade in the Medical Detachment of the 161st Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division. On that day, at Binalonan on the island of Luzon in the Philippines, he exposed himself to enemy fire in order to aid two wounded soldiers. Six days later, on January 24 near San Manuel, he again braved hostile fire to tend to the wounded, carrying five men to safety and treating dozens more before being mortally wounded himself. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor six months later, on July 13 1945.

Parrish, aged 26 at his death, was buried in Mountain View Cemetery, Ronan, Montana.

Medal of Honor citation

Technician Parrish's official Medal of Honor citation reads:

He was medical aid man with Company C during the fighting in Binalonan, Luzon, Philippine Islands. On the 18th, he observed 2 wounded men under enemy fire and immediately went to their rescue. After moving 1 to cover, he crossed 25 yards of open ground to administer aid to the second. In the early hours of the 24th, his company, crossing an open field near San Manuel, encountered intense enemy fire and was ordered to withdraw to the cover of a ditch. While treating the casualties, Technician Parrish observed 2 wounded still in the field. Without hesitation he left the ditch, crawled forward under enemy fire, and in 2 successive trips brought both men to safety. He next administered aid to 12 casualties in the same field, crossing and re-crossing the open area raked by hostile fire. Making successive trips, he then brought 3 wounded in to cover. After treating nearly all of the 37 casualties suffered by his company, he was mortally wounded by mortar fire, and shortly after was killed. The indomitable spirit, intrepidity, and gallantry of Technician Parrish saved many lives at the cost of his own.

ee also

*List of Medal of Honor recipients
*List of Medal of Honor recipients for World War II

References

*findagrave|7675400 Retrieved on 2007-11-13

*cite web
publisher = U.S. Army Center of Military History
title = Medal of Honor Recipients - World War II (M-S)
work = Medal of Honor Citations
date = July 16 2007
url = http://www.army.mil/cmh/html/moh/wwII-m-s.html
accessdate = 2007-11-13

Persondata
NAME= Parrish, Laverne
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION= United States Army Medal of Honor recipient
DATE OF BIRTH=
PLACE OF BIRTH=
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=