Choctaw Nation and Warrior proud, Bill Parker was the last known survivor of the first wave of men to try and cross Omaha Beach, “Easy Green” sector, on D-Day, June 6, 1944. He shared his story many times until his death at age 98 on Sept. 11, 2023, just missing the 80th anniversary.
Parker grew up in Oklahoma training horses and riding bulls, but all of that excitement and danger paled in comparison to what he met on Omaha Beach, “Easy Green” sector on D-Day, June 6, 1944.
Drafted into the army at the age of 18, he served as a Technical Sergeant with the 116th Infantry Regiment, 29th Division. Crossing the English Channel on board the USS Thomas Jefferson, Parker watched as the cliffs at Normandy came into view. A Higgins boat came alongside and the men exited the side of the ship via a rope ladder. With the job of cutting through the barbed wire on the beach, Parker was in the front of the Higgins boat. Just as the ramp was lowered and the first five men stepped on the beach, a loud explosion caused the craft to stall and take on water.
Out of the 35 troops on board, only five survived the shell that hit their Higgins boat. The five men who made it off did not hesitate. They knew the task before them and turning back was not an option. Using wire cutters, Parker opened up the barbed wire allowing the men to go forward. But with so many German 88s aimed at them from the pillboxes on the cliffs, going forward was almost impossible.
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