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Friday, November 12, 2004
Meet Tom Parks
Silver Star winner.
According to the Marines, Parks directed the security of the command group while exposing himself numerous times to heavy gunfire.
He moved from position to position, encouraging Marines and directing the gunfire to strong points in Saddam’s army.
During the fighting, Parks killed three of the enemy with his rifle, including a sniper who was about to fire his weapon at another Marine. He later destroyed a recently abandoned T-55 tank with an AT-4 rocket to prevent its future use.
Then running across the street under heavy small arms fire to direct the movement of an American tank. As he used the tank’s infantry phone to direct its fire, a rocket-propelled grenade fired from an enemy bunker narrowly missing Parks.
His orders to the tanks achieved the destruction of several enemy bunkers and strong-points.
By the end of the fight, Parks had single-handedly destroyed or demoralized a significant portion of the enemy defending the city of Al Kut.
"Through his bold leadership, wise judgment, and complete dedication to duty, Gunner Parks reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions to the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service," Parks’ proclamation reads.
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