1st Lieutenant (1LT) Robert W. Parks graduated from Bucknell University in Pennsylvania in 1966 and received his commission in the Army Reserves through the school's Reserve Officer Training Cadet (ROTC) program. In September 1966, he was activated and was assigned to Fort Bliss for training on the M-42 Duster, a medium-sized tank. On 27 October 1967, he arrived in Vietnam. Parks was assigned to A Battery, 5th Battalion, 2nd Artillery (Automatic Weapon, Self-Propelled), which was attached to the 1st Infantry Division. For the first half of his tour, Parks and his unit escorted convoys, provided cover for engineers repairing bridges after the Tet Offensive, and maintained a Night Defense Perimeter (NDP) at "Claymore Corner," the intersection of highways 1 Alpha and 2 Alpha near Tan Binh and Fuk Vinh. Around 25 March 1968, he was wounded by shrapnel in the face during a mortar attack, was treated by medics, and received the Purple Heart medal. After five months in the field, Parks was transferred to the base camp at Phu Loi to serve as Executive Officer of the battalion. On 14 September 1968, he rotated to the United States. Parks received the Bronze Star during his tour in Vietnam. He made a return visit to Vietnam in January 1997.
From the description of Robert W. Parks papers, 1999. (US Army, Mil Hist Institute). WorldCat record id: 60785407
