Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame 2023 Inductee

John Parker was born in Claremont, Minnesota. As a youth,

he envisioned himself as a cowboy. His love of the outdoors

would later lead him to an extensive career as a conservation

officer. After high school he went on to attend Rochester

Junior College. Later he joined the Army Air Corps in 1943

and received his commission as an officer in 1944. After

flight training and earning his wings, he trained in the P-47

Thunderbolt and was deployed to Italy, where he flew 61

combat missions as a member of the 345th Squadron of the

350th Fighter Group. His follow-on orders sent him to the

Aleutian Isla...