Floyd Lavinius Parks

Floyd Lavinius Parks (9 February 1896 – 10 March 1959) was a United States Army officer who served with distinction during World War II. During the war, he was chief of staff of the US Army Ground Forces and the First Allied Airborne Army. As such, he participated in Operation Market Garden that directed air drops into the Netherlands behind the German lines which were preventing Allied forces from crossing the Rhine river. He commanded the US First Airborne Army in 1945 on his promotion to major general. After the war, Parks commanded the US Sector in Berlin before going to Washington, D.C., to become the chief of the Public Information Division for the Army. Later, he commanded American forces in the United States Army Pacific in 1949. After service in Hawaii, he became chief of the Information Department, whereafter he was known as the "father of modern Army public affairs." He received a promotion to lieutenant general in 1953 and thereafter served as commanding general of the Second Army until his retirement in 1956.

Early life Parks was born in Louisville, Kentucky, on 9 February 1896, the youngest of four children of Lyman Lewis Parks and Lizzie Pratt née Manly. He attended the Clemson College and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical and electrical engineering in 1918.

World War I Parks entered the army as a private in 1918 and was commissioned into infantry that year. He served as a machine gun instructor with the 65th Engineers, the US Army's first Tank Corps unit, under the command of Captain Dwight D. Eisenhower from 1918 to 1923 at Camp Colt, Pennsylvania. There, he also served as a commanding officer of Company A, 333rd Tank Battalion, and the Tank Corps Reserve Officers Training Camp. He then served as an instructor until 1937. From 1937 to 1939, he was aide-de-camp to General Malin Craig, Chief of Staff of the Army. He was promoted to major general in March 1945. From May to October 1945, he succeeded Brereton in command of the First Airborne Army. From 1948 to 1949 he was the Deputy Commanding General of the United States Army Pacific in Hawaii. The following year he won the All Army Golf Championship, Senior Division, held in San Antonio, Texas, on 13 August 1949. After his service in Hawaii, he became chief of the Information Department, a position he held until 1953. He received a promotion to lieutenant general that year and served as Commanding General for the Second United States Army at Fort Meade, Maryland, until his retirement in 1956. Parks often went golfing with President Eisenhower, and at one time, Parks scored a hole in one while playing with him. Parks died on 10 March 1959, after a long illness at Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, D.C. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Decorations Parks' awards included: the Distinguished Service Medal (twice), the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, the Air Medal, and the Army Commendation Medal. Grand Officerof the Order of Orange-Nassau with Swords (15 January 1946)

Honors and Legacies A golf course at Fort Meade was named in his honor. Berlin has a street named after him, Floyd-L-Parks-Weg, located in the Lichterfelde West area. Parks was elected to the U.S. Army Public Affairs Hall of Fame, Class of 2000 with the recognition as "the father of modern Army public affairs." His papers are in the Eisenhower Presidential Center.