Memorial

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T/Sgt Rowdy Parker was a lightweight boxer while serving at Fort Sam Houston in 1941.

He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross postumously for his actions on the day of his death. During a German counter attack, he knocked out a Tiger tank with a bazooka in the vicinity of Boslar, Germany.

S/Sgt John Cavner Jr. kept the company's diary. His son, Dave Cavner, shared what his father wrote about what happened during that period:
Feb. 23, Fri.
Our artillery let loose this morning at 0245. It lasted continuously for an hour and then sparodically up until 0800. M Co. had 29 mortars firing. Our company started moving out of Flossdorf at 1100. We moved to Rurdorf and remained there until 1415. We arrived in Tetz at 1515. The rifle companies started heading for Boslar at 1535. Boslar was taken by 1630, but Jerry is counter-attacking. Some of our medic's jeeps and a few others started arriving at 1600 in Tetz. Pfc. Vanderslice is Missing In Action. He went down to the river this morninf at 0230, taking some Engineer boats with him. Everyone was to leave at 0300. They waited 45 minutes for him, but he didn't return. At 1900, they've taken 119 prisoners, our Battalion alone. The P. W. point has run 600 prisoners through it. Arnold, Wilson, Bender, Pizute were all taking prisoners back. Plenty of air support out. P-47's, P-51's, B-26's. Weather fair, looked like rain. Tanks (Jerry) are now in Boslar with our line companies, who are without armor of any kind. 16 Jerry tanks are running around town. Sgt. Parker of K Co. knocked out two of them. Hill, which leads down to the river, is a solid mass of blood. G. I. equipment lying all around. Plenty of our boys were casulaities right here. Lt. Nelson was wounded, but not evacuated. 1st Battalion Companies first to cross of our Regiment. They were across the river by 0330. A & P platoon busy reparing roads in Tetz.

From a later diary entry:
...Rowdy Parker, the boy from K Co. who knocked out the Jerry tanks in Boslar, is now dead. He died from wounds received that night.