Was this the first US soldier killed in ground combat?

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Urmel
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Was this the first US soldier killed in ground combat?

#1

Post by Urmel » 27 Sep 2014, 17:54

http://rommelsriposte.com/2014/09/27/th ... at-in-ww2/

S.Sgt. Delmar E. Parks, killed in combat when the D.A.K. crossed the border in Rommel's 'Dash to the wire' on 25 November 1941. Very hard to find more detail on him.
The enemy had superiority in numbers, his tanks were more heavily armoured, they had larger calibre guns with nearly twice the effective range of ours, and their telescopes were superior. 5 RTR 19/11/41

The CRUSADER Project - The Winter Battle 1941/42

Orwell1984
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Re: Was this the first US soldier killed in ground combat?

#2

Post by Orwell1984 » 28 Sep 2014, 07:06

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=8 ... 23,5516839

Link to contemporary article in St Petersburg Times, November 28 1941 detailing death of Sgt Delmar Park, 21, of Phoenix Arizona.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2 ... 50,2486818

Link to Gettysburg Times May 30 1942 brief article explaining that an American camp in the Middle East "has been named for Sergeant Delmar Park of Phoenix Arizona, American Army tank technician"

It's worth noting that his first name is correctly spelt Delmer and a search under this spelling brings up more information.

S.Sgt Delmer Park is buried in Greenwood Memory Lawn Cemetery Phoenix Maricopa County, Arizona, USA
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cg ... d=69583507

http://h-net.msu.edu/cgi-bin/logbrowse. ... &user=&pw=
Staff Sergeant Delmer E. Park, US Army Signal Corps ASN 6281980
142nd Armored Signal Company
Killed in Action
Sidi-Omar, Egypt
27 November 1941
Nevada State Journal Dec 1 1941
http://newspaperarchive.com/us/nevada/r ... 941/12-01/
Middle of page
"He Deserved It"
Italians are Ired over Park's [sic] death
Rome Nov 30
A United States Sergeant who was killed in Libya last week was fighting with the British and he 'got what he deserved', newspaper said today.
La Domenica, the Sunday edition of Lavera Fascista (sp?) said the sergeant's death proved that President Roosevelt did not keep his promise of not sending an expeditionary force abroad....
It's interesting to note an earlier article in the same paper dated Nov 26 1941
http://newspaperarchive.com/us/nevada/r ... 26/page-17
attributes his death to a mishap and notes his mother has been informed.
Observer Killed In Egypt Mishap WASHINGTON, 26. The war department today received word of the accidental death in Cairo, Egypt, yesterday of Staff Sgt. Delmer E. Park, U. S. army signal corps observer. His mother, Mrs. Gertrude Blanche Maddy, Box 702, Phoenix, Ariz., has been notified of his death. No further details are available at present.


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Urmel
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Re: Was this the first US soldier killed in ground combat?

#3

Post by Urmel » 29 Sep 2014, 16:46

Hi

Many thanks for this superb information! Great research. Would it be okay to use this in the article?
The enemy had superiority in numbers, his tanks were more heavily armoured, they had larger calibre guns with nearly twice the effective range of ours, and their telescopes were superior. 5 RTR 19/11/41

The CRUSADER Project - The Winter Battle 1941/42

Orwell1984
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Posts: 578
Joined: 18 Jun 2011, 19:42

Re: Was this the first US soldier killed in ground combat?

#4

Post by Orwell1984 » 29 Sep 2014, 18:29

Absolutely!

I've enjoyed reading your blog and learned much from it so it's my pleasure.

I found the "He deserved it" article the most interesting piece for the insight into the Fascist government mindset.

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