On a beautiful sunny day at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, family and friends gathered to honor Sergeant Major Jay Parker. The following was taken from the pamphlet at Jays Memorial.
ONE HUNDRED AND ONE YEARS AGO, Joseph James ‘Jay’ Parker was born in Cleveland Ohio. Jay was the oldest of 4 siblings in an itinerant Midwestern family where survival was primary. At a very young age, Jay worked logging in the woods near home. When Jay turned 16, the Great Depression was well underway and Jay left home to forage for himself. His home was a tent typically near the railroad where he would hop box cars to travel and find work. At times when Jay was cold and hungry, he would go to the local jail and ask for a warm place to sleep and a hot meal. While riding the rails, an incident with another hobo would change his life forever. His boxcar mate told Jay he was going to join the Marines where there would be a warm place to sleep, three square meals a day and dry boots for his feet. Jay decided the United States Marine Corps was for him….
Jay Parker joined the United States Marine Corps on February 10, 1937 in New Orleans, LA with initial assignment to MCRD, San Diego for Basic Training and Sea School for shipboard training.
Initial active duty assignment was to Embassy Duty in China followed by 3 1/2 years aboard USS Nevada as Machine Gunner. Jay took an Honorable Discharge in 1938 so he could marry, Dee, his wife of 70 years.
Following the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, Jay re-enlisted in the Marines and was assigned as Military Police, Naval Station Bremerton, WA, Military Police Oakland, CA Naval Station and his first assignment to Camp Pendleton as a Machine Gun Trainer.
WW-II orders sent Jay to three years of jungle combat in Guadalcanal, New Britain and Battle of Peleliu, three of the Pacific’s most fierce island fights. Still in the Pacific Theater, Jay was in preparation for the invasion of Japan when the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki ended WW-II.
Post war assignment of Camp Pendleton lasted until then Sergeant-Major Parker was ordered to support the Korean War where he was twice wounded and awarded 2 Purple Hearts.
Post Korean War assignments included 4 years of ‘combat instruction’ back at Camp Pendleton and recruiting duty, Little Rock AR.
Sergeant Major Joseph ‘Jay’ Parker retired from active duty on January 26, 1951. He served 3 years of reserve duty with Secretary Navy’s Fleet Marine Force Committee requiring travel to Washington DC from Little Rock, AR and Nebraska.
in 1977, Jay moved “home” to Vista to stay! He served with the San Diego Sheriff Volunteers for 16 years. During that volunteer work, he met, worked with and married Anne Pion nine years ago. Jay & Anne completed their civic service within a year supporting Vista City Code enforcement.
Jay and Anne Parker enjoyed retirement in their Vista home overlooking Vista High School with Camp Pendleton in the distance until his passing on May 24th of this year.
We will all miss Jay Parker…GOD rest his soul.
Sergeant Major Jay Parkers Awards
Purple Heart with 1 gold star
Presidential Unit Citation Medal with 3 stars
Naval Unit Commendation Medal
Good Conduct Medal with 7 stars
American Defense Medal
Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal with 3 stars
World War II Victory Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Korean Service Medal
Republic of Korea Medal
United Nations Service Medal
Republic of Korea Residential Unit Citation
Republic of Korea War Service Medal
Korea Defense Service Medal
