John Lipscomb Parsons (1926 - 1945)

Born 12 Jan 1926 in Tullahoma, Franklin, Tennessee, United States

Ancestors

Died 28 May 1945 at age 19 in Okinawa-ken, Japan

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Biography

S1c John Parsons served in the United States Navy in World War II
Service started:
Unit(s): USS Drexler (DD-741)
Service ended: 28 May1945 KIA

S1c John Parsons was Missing in Action during World War II.

S1c John Parsons was Killed during kamikaze attack off Okinawa during World War II.

John Lipscomb Parsons ^{[1] [2] [3] [4]}

John L Parsons ^{[5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12]}

Birth
12 January 1926
Tullahoma, Franklin, Tennessee, United States ^[1]

Death
28 May 1945
Radar Picket Station 15 off Okinawa, Japan ^{[4] [8]}

Death (Alternate)
May 26 1945
Honolulu, Hawaii, United States ^{[11] [12]}
All other record lists date of death as 28 May 1945 so this is an error in record here as well as location of death. Honolulu is were a memorial for John is placed. See Honolulu Memorial below.

Burial
As John's remains were never recovered, these are memorials in honor of someone whose remains lie elsewhere. ^[12]

Honolulu Memorial
Honolulu, Honolulu County, Hawaii, USA ^[7]

Riverview Memorial Gardens
Fayetteville, Lincoln County, Tennessee, United States ^[1]

Residence

1930 Fayetteville, Fayetteville, Lincoln, Tennessee, USA Marital Status: Single; Relation to Head: Son ^[5]

1935 Fayetteville, Lincoln, Tennessee Marital Status: Single; Relation to Head: Son ^[6]

1940 Fayetteville, Lincoln, Tennessee, USA Marital Status: Single; Relation to Head: Son ^[6]

Military Service

No record found giving when he entered the US Navy, but given his age it was probably 1944.

Seaman First Class John L Parsons was serving aboard the USS Drexler (DD-741) which along with the USS Lowry (DD-770) were stationed at Radar Picket Station 15 ^[13] northwest of Okinawa in the East China Sea. Radar Pickets were extremely dangerous as they were the outermost defense for the fleet during the invasion of Okinawa and were under constant attacks to disrupt the American defenses and permit great attacking forces to follow through.

On 28 May at 07:00, multiple kamikazes attacked Drexler and Lowry. One was downed by the combined fire of the two destroyers and planes from the Marine combat air patrol. The second tried to crash onto Lowry but missed, hitting Drexler instead and cutting off all power and starting large gasoline fires. Despite the heavy damage, she kept firing, aiding in shooting down two planes which attacked immediately after the crash. At 07:03 she was hit by another aircraft, reported as a twin-engined "Frances" P1Y1 bomber though this has some under some scrutiny.^[14] The "impact rolled her on to her beam ends, causing her to sink in less than 50 seconds" Because of the speed with which she sank It impossible to abandon the ship and John was lost with over 150 of his crew mates. ^{[15] [16]}

As a casualty of World War II, John was awarded the Purple Heart. ^[11]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Find a Grave, database and images (accessed 10 July 2021), memorial page for John Lipscomb Parsons (12 Jan 1926–28 May 1945), Find A Grave: Memorial #49665996, citing Riverview Memorial Gardens, Fayetteville, Lincoln County, Tennessee, USA ; Maintained by Sidney Allen (contributor 46825800) .
2. ↑ U.S., World War II Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Casualties, 1941-1945 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007. State Summary of War Casualties from World War II for Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Personnel [Archival Research Catalog]; Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel, Record Group 24; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD. Ancestry Record 1122 #127960 Transcript: John Lipscomb Parsons Relative Name: Mr. and Mrs. Hillard Parsons Relative Relationship: Parents (Parent) State: Tennessee Country: United States Type of Casualty: Killed In Action Roll: ww2c_27
3. ↑ U.S., Navy Casualties Books, 1776-1941 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. This collection was indexed by Ancestry World Archives Project contributors. Various volumes. Washington, D.C.: Navy Department Library. Ancestry Record 2324 #79457 Transcript: John Lipscomb Parsons Residence Place: Tennessee, USA Branch of Service: US Navy Father: Hillard Parsons Volume Title: Combat Naval Casualties, World War II, (MT-WY)
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Destroyer History org The USS Drexler (DD-741) in World War II USS Drexler Muster Roll 5/28/1945 PDF Page 128
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SP4B-NRG : accessed 10 July 2021), John L Parsons in household of Hilliard Parsons, Fayetteville, Lincoln, Tennessee, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 9, sheet 11A, line 34, family 284, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 2262; FHL microfilm 2,341,996.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2} "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K4ZM-16V : 11 January 2021), John L Parsons in household of Robbie Parsons, Civil District 8, Lincoln, Tennessee, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 52-9, sheet 61A, line 7, family 199, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 3913.
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} Find a Grave, database and images (accessed 10 July 2021), memorial page for S1 John L Parsons (unknown–28 May 1945), Find A Grave: Memorial #56118638, citing Honolulu Memorial, Honolulu, Honolulu County, Hawaii, USA ; Maintained by War Graves (contributor 6) .
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency; Washington DC; Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Unaccounted-for Remains, Group B, 1941-1975 U.S., Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Unaccounted-for Remains, Group B, 1941-1975 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2021. Ancestry Record 62207 #28326 Transcript: John L Parsons Residence Place: Tennessee War: World War II Military Service Branch: United States Navy MIA Place: Japan Death Date: 28 May 1945 Location Lost: Japan
9. ↑ U.S., Headstone and Interment Records for U.S., Military Cemeteries on Foreign Soil, 1942-1949 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Cemetery Records Records of the American Battle Monuments Commission, Arlington, VA. Ancestry Record 9170 #30276365 Transcript: John L. Parsons Rank: Seaman First Class Residence Place: Tennessee Service Number: 2730658 Military Branch: U.S. Navy War: World War II Cemetery: Honolulu Memorial Burial Place: Honolulu, Hawaii
10. ↑ U.S., Rosters of World War II Dead, 1939-1945 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007. United States. Army. Quartermaster General’s Office. Rosters of World War II Dead (all services). Washington, D.C.: U.S. Army. Ancestry Record 1102 #244158 Transcript: John L Parsons Gender: Male Race: White Religion: No Record Disposition: Nonrecoverable Service Branch: Navy Rank: Seaman 1st Class Service Number: 2730658
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1 11.2} National Archives and Records Administration. U.S., World War II and Korean Conflict Veterans Interred Overseas [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2000. National Archives and Records Administration. Register, World War II Dead Interred in American Military Cemeteries on Foreign Soil and World War II and Korea Missing or Lost or Buried at Sea. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration. Ancestry Record 4283 #111323 Transcript: John L Parsons Inducted From: Tennessee Rank: Seaman First Class Combat Organization: United States Navy Reserve Death Date: 26 May 1945 Monument: Honolulu, Hawaii, United States Last Known Status: Missing U.S. Awards: Purple Heart Medal
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1 12.2} U.S., World War II Military Personnel Missing In Action or Lost At Sea, 1941-1946 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007. Department of Defense. Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office. < http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo/WWII_MIA/MIA_MAIN.HTM > accessed July 2007. Ancestry Record 1199 #44905 Transcript: John L Parsons Date of Loss: 28 May 1945 0 Branch: U.S. Navy Reserves Rank: SEA1 Service Number: 2730658 Status: Missing in Action
13. ↑ Destroyer History org The USS Drexler (DD-741) in World War II PDF Page 39
14. ↑ Who Sank the Destroyer Drexler? Kamikaze Images org by Bill Gordon
15. ↑ Destroyer History org The USS Drexler (DD-741) in World War II Action Report PDF Page 55
16. ↑ Wikipedia: USS Drexler

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