Shaker Heights' University School letter to C. Walder Parke, February 14, 1943

Letter from University School principal Harry Peters to C. Walder Parke congratulating him on his start at Purdue University. Located in Shaker Heights, the University School is a prestigious private institution for boys only in grades K-12. Peters mentions that he received Parke's "record of work." Parke was enrolled at Purdue before he received his United States Army Air Forces induction orders about a week after the date of this letter. Charles Walder Parke was born on July 28, 1924, and grew up in Shaker Heights, Ohio. He enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces in 1942 intending to be a pilot during WWII, but spent most of his military career as a navigator on B-17 Flying Fortresses in the 94th Bombardment Group. Parke earned two Bronze Stars, an Air Medal with several Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Distinguished Flying Cross for his successful bombing missions, including some over Berlin. He is best known for being on board a B-17 which was shot down over France by German planes on June 25, 1944, during a non-combat mission. The crew managed to make an emergency landing, and everyone inside survived. After the war, Parke founded the Cleveland-based Laurel Industries Inc., which became a prominent supplier of antimony oxide to the plastics industry. He died of Lou-Gehrig’s Disease on September 15, 1996, at the age of 72