Floyd D. Parks

The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the Silver Star Medal (Posthumously) to Floyd D. Parks (2234356), Fireman First Class, U.S. Navy, for gallantry in combat and courageous devotion to duty as a member of the Ammunition Party attached to the U.S.S. WILLIAM B. PRESTON (AVD-7), during a surprise aerial bombing attack by enemy Japanese forces at Darwin, Australia, on 19 February 1942. Within a few minutes after the sounding of general quarters, Fireman First Class Parks and a comrade ran on their own initiative, manned a machine gun and opened fire on the enemy. They lost their lives a short time later when a bomb struck in that vicinity.